Starting from Thursday, media outlets will not be allowed to disclose or quote results of new public opinion polls related to next week’s presidential race.

The National Election Commission(NEC) said the media will be prohibited from releasing updated results on which party is leading in approval ratings or which candidate could possibly win until voting ends at 7:30 p.m. next Wednesday.

The commission will, however, allow media outlets to reference the results of polls that were conducted before Thursday as long as the survey period is clearly stated.

The NEC prohibits new poll results six days before the election on concerns that opinion polls could trigger bandwagon and underdog effects and unduly sway voters.

The ban also takes into consideration the possibility that unfair or inaccurate poll results could undermine the impartiality of elections.