17/10/2024
Don’t Be Fooled by Misleading Online Election Polls
Recently, election-related online polls have been making the rounds in the Philippines, and in Baguio, one particular poll has caught the attention of many.
This poll asks people to vote for their preferred candidates using emojis on Facebook. It doesn’t require users to follow the page but suggests they may want to for updates. Let’s be clear: this is just a tactic to increase engagement. The real objective here is to boost the page’s numbers, not to provide any real insight into voter preferences.
In 2024, we should expect more from our election discourse. Polls like these are cheap tricks designed to manipulate voter interest for the benefit of the page owners. These kinds of tactics don’t give us anything of value—they simply create an illusion of activity and support.
One of the biggest problems with these online polls is how easily they can be manipulated. Anyone can share the poll with friends or even strangers to artificially inflate the numbers. Worse, reactions can be bought to falsely inflate support for a candidate—or, in a more devious move, to make it look like an opponent is buying votes. These tricks create a distorted view of the political landscape and cast doubt on the integrity of candidates.
Another angle to consider is that these online polls could also be a strategy to track who supports certain candidates. By engaging with these polls, users might be unwittingly revealing their political preferences, giving the page owners and other interested parties insights into voter leanings that could be used for targeted messaging or manipulation down the line.
The truth is, these polls don’t represent actual voter sentiment. They are unreliable, easy to rig, and ultimately serve no useful purpose for the electorate. They are a distraction, nothing more.
For voters, the message is simple: Don’t waste your time on these gimmicks. Focus on what really matters—look at the candidates’ platforms, examine their track records, and seek out direct engagement with their campaigns. Visit their official pages and listen to what they actually stand for. Political choices should be informed by facts, not by manipulated online polls.
To those running these polls: It’s time to stop playing games. Using election interest to drive up your follower count or page engagement is unethical. It misleads the public, and in the long run, damages trust. You might see short-term gains in engagement, but at what cost to your reputation?
As the election season heats up, it’s crucial for all of us to remain focused on the real issues. Don’t let yourself be misled by shallow social media tactics. Keep your eyes on what’s important, and make sure that your vote is informed by genuine, reliable information.
