11 polling firms can disseminate data

The National Electoral Council (CNE) authorized 11 polling firms to publish data related to the 2017 elections. The deadline to announce the results of their studies will be February 9, 2017. That is, ten days before the elections. The plenary of the CNE also approved the participation of a firm to conduct the ‘exit poll’ on the election day. Businesses can register with the CNE until the end of the process. The Code of Democracy compels companies of this type to register. In 2016, the CNE approved a new regulation to regulate their work. There are differences concerning the document that was approved in 2012. The current law requires reports no later than three days after the study or dissemination of results.

The old provision indicated that they had to submit these reports 15 days after the elections had ended. Blasco Penaherrera, director of one of the firms (named after him), says that he is worried about another requirement: the obligation to submit reports of private studies of individual political actors. “Some clients and organizations often hire services with information only for them. These results are not published in the media,” said Peñaherrera. Section 12 of the regulation states that the reports should include the names of the political subjects, people who contracted their services, and the date of commencement of the contract. Also, the value and terms of recruitment, of all polls and electoral forecasts that have been published or not.

Source: http://www.elcomercio.com/actualidad/encuestadoras-datos-elecciones-ecuador-cne.html