Electoral Reform Consultation Panel: Original Report

Enumerator states:

Good day. My name is . . . and I am from …. a leading opinion research company. We are working on behalf of the Electoral Reform Consultation Panel, which has been appointed by the Government to reconsider the way South Africans elect people to Parliament. This is very important for the political future of our country. Could I please have about 30 minutes of your time to ask some questions? Your answers will be treated confidentially, and your name will not be given to anybody outside our company.

Let me begin by assuring you that this survey is being undertaken in the strictest confidence. In particular:

No one outside of the team, including anyone in the government, will be able to associate the individual answers you provide with you, so please feel free to answer honestly;
The answers that you provide will be completely anonymous and any published data will be completely anonymous. The researchers are interested only in the truth; and,
Your participation in this study is completely voluntary. If you choose to be in this study, you may withdraw your participation and data from the study at any time without penalty. Data will be held indefinitely for research purposes.

Module A: Experience of Current Electoral System and Satisfaction with Democracy

Label	Question	Responses
EXP_01	How interested are you in politics and elections?	1 = Not interested 2 = Somewhat interested 3 = Very interested 900 = Don’t know 998 = Refuse to answer
EXP_02	Did you vote in the 2024 national and provincial	1 = Voted
	election?	2 = Decided not to vote 3 = Unable to vote 4 = I was not eligible to vote 900 = Don’t know 998 = Refuse to answer
EXP_03	How much do you want to vote in the next election in 2026?	1 = I definitely do not want to vote 2 = I do not really want to vote 3 = I do not know 4 = I want to vote 5 = I definitely want to vote 998 = Refuse to answer
EXP_04	How often, if at all, do you vote in elections in South Africa?	1 = Every election without exception 2 = Almost every election – may have missed one or two 3 = Some elections 4 = Rarely 5 =Don’t vote in elections 900 = Don’t know 998 = Refuse to answer
EXP_05	Which of these statements do you agree with most?	1 = It is important who is in power because it can make a difference to our lives 2 = It doesn’t really matter who is in power, because in the end things go on much the same 900 = Don’t know 998 = Refuse to answer
Indicate the extent to which you trust or distrust the following institutions in South Africa at present.
TRS_01	National government	1 = Strongly trust 2 = Trust 3 = Neither trust nor distrust 4 = Distrust 5 = Strongly distrust 900 = Don’t know 998 = Refuse to answer
TRS_02	Parliament	1 = Strongly trust 2 = Trust 3 = Neither trust nor distrust 4 = Distrust 5 = Strongly distrust 900 = Don’t know 998 = Refuse to answer
TRS_03	Your local government	1 = Strongly trust 2 = Trust 3 = Neither trust nor distrust 4 = Distrust 5 = Strongly distrust 900 = Don’t know 998 = Refuse to answer
TRS_04	Political parties	1 = Strongly trust 2 = Trust 3 = Neither trust nor distrust 4 = Distrust 5 = Strongly distrust 900 = Don’t know 998 = Refuse to answer

Module B: Views on current system

General elections are normally held every five years. In these elections, people vote for a political party. The top people from each party’s list of candidates then go into Parliament or the provincial assembly according to how many votes each party receives. Once Parliament is elected, the Members of Parliament elect the president, and the Members of Provincial Legislatures elect the premiers.
CUR_01	Are you satisfied with the way we elect our government in South Africa?	1 = Not at all satisfied 2 = Not very satisfied 3 = Fairly satisfied 4 = Very satisfied 900 = Don’t know 998 = Refuse to answer
CUR_02	Do you think all parties were treated equally in the 2024 general election?	1 = Not treated equally 2 = On the whole, treated equally but with major problems 3 = Treated equally with some minor problems 4 = Treated completely equally 900 = Don’t know 998 = Refuse to answer
CUR_03	Do you think that all voters were treated equally in the 2024 general election?	1 = Not treated equally 2 = On the whole, treated equally but with major problems 3 = Treated equally with some minor problems 4 = Treated completely equally 900 = Don’t know 998 = Refuse to answer
Here is a series of statements about the voting system that we have in South Africa. For each of the following, please tell me whether you agree or disagree.
CUR_04	The voting system is fair towards all political parties	1 = Strongly Agree 2 = Agree 3 = Disagree 4 = Strongly disagree 900 = Don’t know 998 = Refuse to answer
CUR_05	Voters can influence Parliament	1 = Strongly Agree 2 = Agree 3 = Disagree 4 = Strongly disagree 900 = Don’t know 998 = Refuse to answer
CUR_06	The voting system helps voters hold the parties accountable for their actions	1 = Strongly Agree 2 = Agree 3 = Disagree 4 = Strongly disagree 900 = Don’t know 998 = Refuse to answer
CUR_07	The voting system helps voters hold individual representatives of government accountable for their actions	1 = Strongly Agree 2 = Agree 3 = Disagree 4 = Strongly disagree 900 = Don’t know 998 = Refuse to answer

Module C: Preferences

Parliament will soon be reviewing how we vote and elect our political representatives. In choosing a new voting system for South Africa we want to understand what is most important to the public.
Values
VAL_01	How important is it to you that the voting system ensures that different groups in society are represented in Parliament?	1 = Not at all important 2 = Not very important 3 = Somewhat important 4 = Important 5 = Very important 900 = Don’t know 998 = Refuse to answer
VAL_02	How important is it to you that the electoral system provides opportunities for smaller parties to be represented in Parliament?	1 = Not at all important 2 = Not very important 3 = Somewhat important 4 = Important 5 = Very important 900 = Don’t know 998 = Refuse to answer
VAL_03	How important is it to you that the voting system allows you to hold individual politicians accountable for their actions?	1 = Not at all important 2 = Not very important 3 = Somewhat important 4 = Important 5 = Very important 900 = Don’t know 998 = Refuse to answer
Prioritisation of values
VAL_04	Which of the following principles do you think are most important for South Africa’s voting system? (rank top three values)	1 = The voting system should ensure that lots of diverse views and groups are represented 2 = The voting system should treat voters equally 3 = The voting system should allow voters to hold political parties and politicians accountable 4 = The voting system should be simple to understand 5 = The voting system should be easy for the Election Commission to manage 6 = The voting system should be transparent in how seats in Parliament are decided 7 = The voting system should allow for stable and efficient government
VAL_05	Second preference
VAL_06	Third preference
Preference choices
PRF_01	Which would you prefer the most? Having many small parties in Parliament representing many different views OR having a few big parties that try to appeal to a broad range of people?	1 = Having many small parties in Parliament representing many different views 2 = A few big parties that try to appeal to a broad range of people 900 = Don’t know 998 = Refuse to answer
PRF_02	Which would you prefer the most? Having many small parties in Parliament representing many different views OR having a few big parties that try to appeal to a broad range of people?	1 = Having many small parties in Parliament representing many different views 2 = A few big parties that try to appeal to a broad range of people 900 = Don’t know 998 = Refuse to answer
PRF_03	Which of these statements do you agree with most?	1 = The most important thing is for Parliament to represent all parts of society, even if it takes longer to debate and make decisions 2 = A Parliament that represents too many opinions will not be able to make decisions easily, so it is important to have a party with a strong majority that can pass laws and get things done 900 = Don’t know 998 = Refuse to answer
PRF_04	Which of these statements do you agree with most?	1 = Members of Parliament (MPs) should be able to criticise their own political party 2 = MPs should always be loyal to their party leaders because they were elected on their party’s platform 900 = Don’t know 998 = Refuse to answer
PRF_05	Which of these statements do you agree with most?	1 = Members of Parliament should always vote the way their party decides 2 = Members of Parliament should vote according to their own beliefs 900 = Don’t know 998 = Refuse to answer
PRF_06	Which of these statements do you agree with most?	1 = Parliament should be able to represent as many parties as possible 2 = Too many parties may make Parliament unmanageable 900 = Don’t know 998 = Refuse to answer
PRF_07	Do you prefer to vote for an individual, or do you prefer to vote for a political party?	1 = Individual 2 = Political party 900 = Don’t know 998 = Refuse to answer
Local representation
In the local government elections, voters have two votes. They can vote for both ward councillors (who represent a specific area) and party list councillors (chosen by political parties).
LR_01	In your experience, do you think that ward councillors are representative of their communities?	1 = Not at all 2 = To a minor extent 3 = To some extent 4 = To a great extent 900 = Don’t know
LR_02	In your experience, do you think that party list councillors are representative of their communities?	1 = Not at all 2 = To a minor extent 3 = To some extent 4 = To a great extent 900 = Don’t know
LR_03	In your experience, do you think that ward councillors are responsive to their community’s needs?	1 = Not at all 2 = To a minor extent 3 = To some extent 4 = To a great extent 900 = Don’t know
LR_04	In your experience, do you think that ward councillors are responsive to their community’s needs?	1 = Not at all 2 = To a minor extent 3 = To some extent 4 = To a great extent 900 = Don’t know
LR_05	Political parties draw up a list of people who stand	1 = Political party leaders
	for elections. Who should decide who should be on those lists?	2 = All political party members 3 = Ordinary voters 900 = Don’t know 998 = Refuse to answer
LR_06	Do you feel close to any particular political party?	1 = Yes 2 = No 900 = Don’t know 998 = Refuse to answer
LR_07	Are you a member of a political party?	1 = Yes 2 = No 900 = Don’t know 998 = Refuse to answer
LR_08	Do you want to vote for a candidate from the area where you live?	1 = Yes 2 = No 900 = Don’t know 998 = Refuse to answer
Independents
IND_01	In the next national election would you like to see independent candidates, who do not belong to any political party, elected to Parliament?	1 = Yes, definitely 2 = Yes, probably 3 = No, probably not 4 = No, definitely not 900 = Don’t know 998 = Refuse to answer
IND_02	Would you consider voting for an independent candidate, at the next national election?	1 = Yes, definitely 2 = Yes, probably 3 = No, probably not 4 = No, definitely not 900 = Don’t know 998 = Refuse to answer

Module D: Demographic identifiers¹⁵³

Label	Question	Responses
DEM_01	How old are you?	Write in
DEM_02	What is your gender?	1 = Male 2 = Female 3 = Other 900 = Don’t know 998 = Refuse to answer
DEM_03	How would you describe yourself in terms of population group?	1 = Black 2 = Coloured 3 = Indian or Asian 4 = White 5 = Other (specify 900 = Don’t know 998 = Refuse to answer
DEM_04	What language do you speak most often when you are at home?	1 = Afrikaans 2 = English 3 = IsiNdebele 4 = IsiXhosa 5 = IsiZulu 6 = Sepedi 7 = Sesotho 8 = Setswana 9 = SiSwati 10 = Tshivenda 11 = Xitsonga 12 = Other (SPECIFY): 998 = Refuse to answer
DEM_05	What is your highest level of education?	1 = No formal schooling 2 = Some primary schooling 3 = Some secondary/high schooling 4 = Secondary/high schooling completed/matric 5 = Post-secondary qualifications, other than university or technikon 6 = Some university or technikon 7 = University or technikon graduate (Bachelors or Diploma) 8 = Postgraduate degree completed
DEM_06	What type of dwelling does your household occupy? 1 = House or brick structure on a separate stand or	yard 2 = Traditional dwelling such as a hut or rondavel 3 = Flat in block of flats 4 = Town/cluster/semi-detached house 5 = House/flat/room in backyard 6 = Informal dwelling NOT in backyard, e.g. in an informal settlement 7 = Room/flatlet not in backyard but on a shared property 8 = Collective living quarters such as a hostel 9 = Other (SPECIFY):
DEM_07	What province do you live in?	01 = Eastern Cape 02 = Free State 03 = Gauteng 04 = KwaZulu-Natal 05 = Limpopo 06 = Mpumalanga 07 = Northern Cape 08 = North West 09 = Western Cape
DEM_08	How would you best describe your main activity or work?	1 = Working full-time 2 = Working part-time Not working: 3 = Housewife 4 = Student 5 = Retired/pensioner Unemployed: 6 = looking for work 7 = not looking for work

Survey Questionnaire

Module A: Experience of Current Electoral System and Satisfaction with Democracy

Module B: Views on current system

Module C: Preferences

Module D: Demographic identifiers¹⁵³

Notes

Module A: Experience of Current Electoral System and Satisfaction with Democracy

Module B: Views on current system

Module C: Preferences

Module D: Demographic identifiers153

Notes

Module D: Demographic identifiers¹⁵³