Manual voting in 2022?
>> Thursday, October 14, 2021
EDITORIAL
With five months to go before the deadline, some constituents of this republic are proposing manual
voting during the May 2022 elections to lessen fraud in counting of votes. Some
are not convinced of the integrity of voting machines like that of what they
call Smartmagic. They are afraid of brownouts
intended to derail the elections.
This, as the Commission on Elections is trying to reach its goal of registering approximately four million new voters for the 2022 polls. As of April 20, Comelec records showed 2,770,561 new voters have registered to participate in the May 2022 general elections.
At stake in the polls are positions from the presidency to the legislature and to the lowest rungs of local government. Aside from other problems, preparations for this major electoral exercise are affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The nation cannot afford to postpone the polls. Political observers say a no-election scenario or no-el would be extremely destabilizing and can only worsen the economic recession the country is going through due to Covid-19. With the uncertainties, the goal of HOPE remains: honest, orderly and peaceful elections.
HOPE has always been a challenge even in previous elections. It will be even more so as the nation is preoccupied with balancing lives and livelihoods in the battle against Covid.
Purging existing voters’ lists is going to be tough amid the pandemic restrictions nationwide. The registration of new voters is one of many steps along the way to ensuring the credibility of the 2022 vote.
The Comelec still has to finalize its choice of voting machines, ensure that all are in good running order, and then put them through several test runs to iron out glitches.
Although stymied by Supreme Court decisions, the Comelec should regulate campaign contributions and spending, and rationalize the party-list system so that it truly works for marginalized sectors.
The Comelec, observers say, should study rules on campaigning in the time of Covid and using social media. It must draw up parameters on the use of government resources for personal campaigns. Security forces need more effort to prevent candidates from using murder as the ultimate tool for ensuring their victory at the polls.
Election campaigns in this country often turn into shameless, underhanded, violent free-for-alls. The pandemic and rigged voting machines must not make the 2022 race even more so. Manual elections anyone?
This, as the Commission on Elections is trying to reach its goal of registering approximately four million new voters for the 2022 polls. As of April 20, Comelec records showed 2,770,561 new voters have registered to participate in the May 2022 general elections.
At stake in the polls are positions from the presidency to the legislature and to the lowest rungs of local government. Aside from other problems, preparations for this major electoral exercise are affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The nation cannot afford to postpone the polls. Political observers say a no-election scenario or no-el would be extremely destabilizing and can only worsen the economic recession the country is going through due to Covid-19. With the uncertainties, the goal of HOPE remains: honest, orderly and peaceful elections.
HOPE has always been a challenge even in previous elections. It will be even more so as the nation is preoccupied with balancing lives and livelihoods in the battle against Covid.
Purging existing voters’ lists is going to be tough amid the pandemic restrictions nationwide. The registration of new voters is one of many steps along the way to ensuring the credibility of the 2022 vote.
The Comelec still has to finalize its choice of voting machines, ensure that all are in good running order, and then put them through several test runs to iron out glitches.
Although stymied by Supreme Court decisions, the Comelec should regulate campaign contributions and spending, and rationalize the party-list system so that it truly works for marginalized sectors.
The Comelec, observers say, should study rules on campaigning in the time of Covid and using social media. It must draw up parameters on the use of government resources for personal campaigns. Security forces need more effort to prevent candidates from using murder as the ultimate tool for ensuring their victory at the polls.
Election campaigns in this country often turn into shameless, underhanded, violent free-for-alls. The pandemic and rigged voting machines must not make the 2022 race even more so. Manual elections anyone?
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