Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — The Commission on Elections still plans to go fully automated for the 2016 national elections.
Comelec chairman Andres Bautista said the poll body will either refurbish 82,000 Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines or lease 71,000 Optical Mark Readers (OMRs).
“We will be opening the financial bids for the refurbishment on August 1 so by that time we will be able to assess the cost, the timeliness and the technical risk if we either go on a refurbishment mode or we lease new machines,” Bautista said.
The Comelec aims to have these machines ready by March next year to help voters learn how to use them.
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As for voter registration, Bautista says 55 malls will host booths until the end of July.
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Meanwhile, Bautista said that political advertisements by public officials cannot be considered early campaigning because under the law, the campaign period has not officially begun.
