Winners always cheat? Regional identity and the myth of a rigged 2022 Philippine presidential election

Abstract

This article draws its analysis from the results of an assessment conducted in October 2022 of the May 2022 presidential election. The 2022 presidential election in the Philippines is an historical turning point not only for marking the return of the Marcos family to the country's highest office but also due to the initial claim of electoral fraud that raised concerns about the integrity of automated polling in the country. In the context of the May 2022 election, our findings do not identify any clear demographic pattern linked to a lack of confidence or skepticism regarding the credibility of the election results. Instead, compelling evidence indicates that the belief in a rigged election is limited to a specific subset of voters aligned with the geographical support base of a defeated presidential candidate. The findings contribute to nuancing electoral dynamics in the Philippines in a number of ways. First, they dispel the myth of an impaired election floated by media and other international watchdogs immediately after the election. Second, the findings suggest that as citizens navigate their democratic responsibilities, their regional identity becomes a lens through which the fairness, transparency, and legitimacy of the electoral system are ultimately contested.