Young voters remain largely undecided ahead of crucial elections

The Weekend View

Part of the folklore of politics is that being first on a ballot paper is worth at least some extra votes in any general elections. Nkosikhulule Nyembezi , Policy Analyst and Researcher at Election Monitoring Network says for decades, specialists in voting mechanics have studied whether the order in which voters see candidates on the ballot impacts election results and that they have long recognised that the order in which candidates' names appear on a ballot influences voters' decisions. He says the ballot position clearly and robustly affects the number of undecided and switched votes for the top candidate. Meanwhile, the latest research by the Centre for Social Development in Africa (CDSA), shows that voter choice is not based on only one factor but a combination of many complex and intersecting factors. Social attitudes, political beliefs, socio-economic issues and a desire for a better life are but some of the reasons for their party-political preferences. For more Bongiwe Zwane spoke to Nkosikhulule Nyembezi, Policy Analyst and Researcher at Election Monitoring Network and Prof Leila Patel, lead researcher at the Centre for Social Development in Africa (CSDA)