Opinion polls have been notoriously known for shaping up outcomes in any election. There are instances, however, that prove opinion polls, or political surveys, are not always right.
Vico Sotto’s ascendancy to Pasig City’s mayoralty post in the 2019 elections, is a screaming reminder, that while surveys almost always predetermine election turnouts, there are rare instances when they don’t.
Almost every local survey in Pasig City predicted then three-termer and incumbent Mayor Robert Eusebio to crush newbie Vico Sotto in the city’s mayoralty race.
A week leading to the election, RP-Mission and Development Foundation, Inc. reported that Eusebio will crush Sotto with a 66%-38% win, or a whopping 25% lead. That was ultimately proven non-reflective of the masses’ pulse, as election results did not only debunk predictions Sotto won’t win; he won the mayoralty post with 63% of the votes, or 26% higher than what Eusebio’s obtained.
Just recently, Presidential candidate Manny Pacquiao expresses shock on thr Pulse Asia Survey from February 18 to 23 where he obtained zero vote in National Capital Region.
The senator cannot contain his disbelief and believes that Pulse Asia might not have asked the people in the marginalized sector.
However, such observations should remind us that while opinion polls are effective mind conditioners, it is certainly up to the voter whose name they should shade for in the May 9 polls.