An exit poll conducted by Near East Consulting on 15 February 2006 on voters participating in the 2006 PA elections revealed the following responses to major concerns:
Support for a Peace Agreement with Israel: 79.5% in support; 15.5% in oppositionShould Hamas change its policies regarding Israel: Yes – 75.2%; No – 24.8%Under Hamas corruption will decrease: Yes – 78.1%; No – 21.9%Under Hamas internal security will improve: Yes – 67.8%; No – 32.2%Hamas government priorities: 1) Combatting corruption; 2) Ending security chaos; 3) Solving poverty/unemploymentSupport for Hamas' impact on the national interest: Positive – 66.7&; Negative - 28.5%Support for a national unity government?: Yes – 81.4%; no – 18.6%Rejection of Fatah's decision not to join a national unity government: Yes – 72.5%; No – 27.5%Satisfaction with election results: 64.2% satisfied; 35.8% dissatisfied
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World Public Opinion summarised the election voting drivers as follows:
The decisive victory of the militant Islamic group Hamas in last month's Palestinian legislative elections (winning 74 of 132 parliamentary seats) has raised the question of whether the Palestinian public has become aligned with Hamas' rejection of Israel's right to exist and its stated goal of creating an Islamic state covering all of historic Palestine, including what is now Israel. Hamas has come under increasing pressure to renounce its goal of eliminating Israel, but Hamas leaders have refused.
However, new polling following the election indicated that two-thirds of Palestinians believed Hamas should change its policy of rejecting Israel's right to exist. Most also supported a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Post-election polls indicated that Hamas' victory was due largely to Palestinians' desire to end corruption in government rather than support for the organization's political platform.
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