Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — The source code review that will be used for the 2016 elections was opened for scrutiny on Thursday (October 8), seven months before the actual polls.
A lecture at the De La Salle University in Manila signalled the beginning of the process of reviewing the source code that will dictate how the computerized machines to be used in the elections will run.
The goal is to scrutinize one million lines of the base code, which will be the spine of the software that will run the machines. The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said this is to build trust in the automated election system.
Comelec and the supplier Smartmatic are briefing the public and political parties present on the importance of the review and the process of carrying it out.
In 2010 and 2013, the source code of the PCOS machines became the center of controversy, primarily because it wasn’t made available to the public until a few weeks before the polls. Comelec Chairman Andres “Andy” Bautista pointed out that this time around, they’re doing the review seven months ahead of the polls.
The Comelec’s review is a parallel one with the main review being done by Colorado-based contractor SLI Global.
Comelec said SLI Global has already gone through half of the million-line base code.
Why reviewing the source code is important
Reviewing the source code is important to ensure that the machines will perform the functions that they’re supposed to.
For instance, it should vote one vote for candidate A as one vote for candidate A, and one vote for candidate B as one vote for candidate B, and so on.
Reviewers will look out for malicious lines or any inconsistency that might affect the results of the elections.
Comelec expects SLI Global to come up with a certification for the base code by January.
By then, local reviewers should begin reviewing a customized code which already contains instructions specific to the May 9 elections.
The result of all these reviews will be a so-called “trusted build,” which will be the code that will be uploaded to the machines.
There will be a series of tests before the machines are finally given the green light.
