Local Political Candidates Preferred and Community Issues Prioritized by Political Voters in a Component City in the Visayas

Abstract Election poll results help in understanding voter behaviors early on across demographics, social classes, and geographies. This article examined localized electoral dynamics through a statistical analysis of voter preferences and information sources in a component city in the Visayas. Framed within the theories of voting behavior and local political participation, the aim was to determine how citizens prioritized societal issues, what sources of information influenced their choices, and how geographic and demographic factors shaped political preferences. Using a descriptive and geographically stratified survey design, the study drew a sample of 392 respondents, equally divided by sex and proportionally selected from coastal, upland, and lowland barangays , based on the 2020 household population of 20,047. The findings revealed a strong preference for incumbent officials allied with the administration party, while opposition candidates trailed significantly across elective positions. Geographic stratification reveals distinct spatial variations in voter support, indicating the impact of geography and incumbency advantage on electoral outcomes. As an exploratory study, it provides baseline evidence for developing GIS -based spatial models and contributes to a deeper understanding of how contextual and geographic factors shaped political behavior in Philippine local elections.