Description:
This data set contains responses of South African legible voters in the 2000 local government elections aged 18 years and older.
All 200 selected voting stations were visited on election day. The number of voters interviewed was 11 315 and the data set contains 30 variables.
The questionnaire questions included the distance traveled to the voting station, means of transport utilised, time spent in the voting queue, perception of IEC officials' competence, and perception of the freeness and fairness of the election.
Abstract:
The objective of the 2000 Election Satisfaction Survey (ESS) -Voters was to determine opinions and perceptions of voters on election day.
The poll focused on the following issues: (1) the extent to which various logistical matters impacted on voter participation, (2) an assessment by voters of the free and fairness of the elections - including possible levels if intimidation, (3) determine the extent to which first time voters participated in the elections, and (4) the reasons why voters participated in the elections.
The results that were reported are the responses of a sample of 48% of the electorate that did vote.
The study method comprised brief (5-minute) interviews with randomly selected voters exiting from the 210 selected voting stations. Voters were asked eighteen questions concerning their experiences on election day.
The prime target population was therefore individuals aged 18+ who reside in South Africa and who were registered to vote in the 2000local government elections and voted. As voters exited these voting stations they were interviewed.
Face-to-face interview
The study was conducted among South Africans who voted in the 2000 National Elections. The target population for the voter component of the study was individuals aged 18 years and older who were registered to vote in the 2000 elections.
The survey was conducted at 210 randomly selected voting stations across South Africa. The sample was stratified by metropolitan, urban and rural localities. The number of stations surveyed in each province varied from 32 in KwaZulu-Natal to 18 each in in the Northern Cape, North West province and Mpumalanga. Between 50 and 70 voters were interviewed at each voting station after they had cast their votes. Voters were interviewed at regular intervals (calculated in relation to the number of registered voters and an anticipated 40% average poll) so as to ensure that interviews took place throughout the period during which the voting stations were open.
Number of surveyed voting stations and respondents by province:
Province
Voting Stations Sampled
Expected sample
Eestern Cape
27
1339
Free State
20
954
Gauteng
30
1793
KwaZulu-Natal
32
1843
Mpumalanga
18
865
Northern Cape
18
1089
Northern Province
22
1077
North West
18
993
Western Cape
25
1362
Total
210
11 315
