Christodoulides leads presidential polls
Voter interest in the Presidential elections is picking up, with Nikos Christodoulides maintaining a clear command, according to a CyBC poll.
DIKO-backed Christodoulides although losing ground, is still 8 percentage points ahead of ruling DISY leader Averof Neophytou who is head-to-head with opposition AKEL-supported Andreas Mavroyiannis.
According to the poll, the percentage of people saying they will cast their vote rose to 85%, from 81% in November and 84% in October, indicating at strong turnout.
Two thirds of voters appear confident who they will be casting their vote for, unchanged since November.
And 23% asked said they were still uncertain, while 11% offered no opinion.
Asked when they had decided whom to vote for, 50% said ‘well before the elections’, 18% ‘a few weeks before the election’, 11% had recently made their minds up ‘a few days before’.
Some 10% said they would be deciding ‘at the last moment, possibly on election day’.
And 11% said they would not cast a vote. Deriving from the answers, 68% have already decided what they will be doing at the ballot.
Christodoulides maintains a comfortable lead of 29.5% ahead of second Averof Neophytou with 21.5%, and Mavroyiannis with 20.5%.
Asked which candidate they think likeliest to make it through to the second round, 75% said Christodoulides, 64% picked Neophytou, and 43% said Mavroyiannis.
Moving to second round scenarios, in the event Christodoulides faces Neophytou, Christodoulides takes the win with 42.5% to 28.5%.
In this scenario, Christodoulides’ numbers dropped just one percentage point since November, whereas Neophytou gained 4.5%. In the event Mavroyiannis goes to a run-off with Christodoulides, the former would get 27%, the latter 45.5%.
A Neophytou versus Mavroyiannis contest would be a close one, with the DISY leader leading with 34.5% to 33%.
Asked who they think will become the next president, regardless of personal preference, exactly half of the respondents said Christodoulides. Just 27% thought Neophytou will be elected, and Mavroyiannis had a 9% chance.