Automating the Philippine Elections: Kaya Ba?

It recently came out in the news that 1 bidder in COMELEC's attempt to automate the 2010 elections was deemed eligible, but wa snot yet declared the winning bidder. Other bidders have been disqualified, some are asking for reconsideration, while others are still trying to bid. While all this is happening, the question in some people's mind is: can we really have automated elections in a year's time? Or more importantly: can we have automated elections in 2010, that are clean, honest, orderly, transparent, and credible?

The COMELEC would like to have a fully automated system using the PCOS (Precinct Count Optical Scan) system. We would have 80,000 machines nationwide where in people will have their ballots scanned, and after the voting, results will automatically be transmitted to the municipal and city canvassing centers. Although this system seems all good and problem free, critics and skeptics have aired some concern. First, there is not enough time to actually ensure that all the needed preparations are done properly before 2010. Second, there is still doubt as to the capacity of COMELEC to handle a fully automated system. Its own automated elections advisory council, in a report, expessed doubts as to COMELEC's capacity, based n the existing technological capacity and infrastructure of the commission. There is another sector, a group of local IT experts, who are advocating that the COMELEC adopt an open election system given the time constraints and the capacity of the commission. This system still involves the usual manual voting process that we're all used to. The only new thing is that the transmission of the results will be automated. Less money needed, fewer new things to teach people, but you still have a faster electoral process, and you lessen the possibility of whole sale cheating at the canvassing level.

I personally would prefer a fully automated system - it's about time we had one in our country! But I also believe that we shouldn't force to fully automate if our COMELEC and the entire country is not prepared. What is needed now is for us to be vigilant and to guard the whole bidding and procurement process. More on this to come.