Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 8) — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday held a simulation for the first-ever automated barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections ahead of the October polls.
It held mock elections in three barangays in Dasmariñas, Cavite and Quezon City from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Comelec said the process generally went well except for some issues like paper jams. Most of the voters favored the faster automation over manual voting.
\”Pagka ikaw ay automated, alas-tres ka natapos, alas kwatro may result ka na,\” said Comelec chairman George Garcia. \”Ganun po kabilis kasi scanner lang naman ‘yan, yung counting machine natin so ibig sabihin hindi na mahihirapan mga guro natin.\”
[Translation: If you are automated, if you finish at 3 o’clock, by 4 o’clock you’ll already have results. That’s how fast the scanner and the counting machine is, so teachers will not have a difficult time anymore.]
Garcia said 1,000 vote-counting machines will be used for the pilot testing, and while the Comelec chief cannot promise zero issues, he said back-up VCMs are adequate.
The poll body is also seeking additional funds to lease new machines for 2025.
\”Dalawa pong eleksyon ang aming haharapin kung hindi magbabago ang desisyon ng Korte Suprema,\” Garcia said. \”Kung manual po yun wala namang problema, kung automated malaki ang problema sapagkat malaki po ang nagagastos natin.\”
[Translation: If the Supreme Court’s decision will not change, we’re looking at two elections. There won’t be any problems if it’s manual, but that won’t be the case if it’s automated because the expenses will be big.]
The National Citizen’s Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) said it’s possible to fully automate the next local polls, but it will raise several recommendations to Comelec.
\”So far we see it is doable but yung registration lang ng candidates that should be ironed out by Comelec,\” said Namfrel secretary general Eric Alvia. \”‘Yung QR code makikita niyo doon sa pinakahuli ng election results, must contain results of the machine, of the count. Para madali na lang bilangin ng interested parties or watchers.\”
[Translation: So far we see it is doable, but the registration of candidates should be ironed out by Comelec. The QR code seen at the very end of the election results must contain the results of the machine, of the count. So the interested parties or watchers will have an easier time in counting.]
