Automated elections for 2016 – Comelec

EDITORIAL

The May 2016 elections will be automated, at least for now.

The Commission on Elections last week ruled against manual voting and narrowed down to two the possible choices of machines that would be used in the 2016 elections.

This, after the commission en banc specifically said that the May polls next year will automate and manual elections is not being considered for now, according to Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said. Jimenez noted that discussions are not yet over but the commission has agreed on only two options.

In a meeting, he said, the poll body has decided to hold a public bidding either for the refurbishment of the old precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines or for the purchase of new optical mark reader (OMR) machines.

“Either way, the commission will be conducting bidding,” he added. The possibility of reverting to manual voting for the coming elections came up after the Supreme Court junked the contract between the poll body and Smartmatic for the refurbishment of old PCOS machines.

Lawmakers and other sectors, however, called on the Comelec to look for an alternative and acceptable plan for 2016.

Jimenez gave assurance that the Comelec would still have sufficient time in case the final decision would be to bid out the refurbishment of the old PCOS machines.

The bidding would take only a month or two, while the refurbishment would require about five months, he said.

In case the poll body rules in favor of buying new OMR machines, Jimenez said they would be purchasing 63,000 units.

There is an ongoing bidding for 23,000 OMRs and Jimenez said the poll body would have to initiate a new bidding for 63,000 additional machines.

Meanwhile, the Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE) urged the House of Representatives to approve pending House Bill 5412, or the Election Service Reform Act.

Rona Ann Caritos, LENTE acting executive director, said the proposed measure would make election service for public school teachers non-compulsory.

Caritos said this would give them the choice whether or not to serve as poll watchers during the polls.

The bill would also provide institutionalized benefits, legal assistance and service incentive leaves for those serving as board of election inspectors (BEIs), she added.

“They are committed to serve, but what these teachers want is the freedom to choose whether to serve or not,” she said, noting that some teachers were afraid to commit themselves as BEIs in areas with security issues.