Modernizing Philippine Elections
by Gus Lagman

Counting and Canvassing Process

The second and, to my mind, the more important area that should be automated is the counting and canvassing process. It is imperative, if we are to ever attain honest, orderly and peaceful elections, that we be able to cut down the process of counting and canvassing to at most seven days, though the target should be three days. Less than that may not be attainable, given the equipment available in the market.

What are the types of equipment available in the market? There are a few.

On-line Voting Machine
There are those with which voters can vote directly on, meaning, they can key in their choices using an electronic device and the same will be transmitted via communication lines to a computer which will then
automatically tabulate the results as they come in.

Advantage: Very quick.

Disadvantages: Usually, no audit trail, no paper proof of how one voted. Usage training would be difficult. Also, at least two such devices would probably be needed for each precinct to accommodate two voters to vote simultaneously. If the 200,000 precincts that we had in the last elections were to be maintained, then the minimum number that we will need would be 400,000 units. That would be very costly!

Punch Cards/Card Reader
Then there are those that utilize punched cards, much like the IBM cards that we used decades ago. I believe this was the device they used in Florida. The voters punch a card or cards to signify their choices. The cards are then counted using electronic card readers.

Advantages: The counting can be done in a city or municipal tabulating center and therefore less machines would be needed. There is an audit trail.

Disadvantages: Counting is not done at the precincts. The technology is too old. Devices for punching the holes will still be needed in the precincts. Devices in such huge numbers, just like in the first example, would be difficult to keep and maintain. Usage training would be difficult.

OMR
Then there are those which utilize OMR or Optical Mark Recognitiontechnology whereby voters mark their choices in specially-designed ballots; then the ballots are tabulated in a central area by OMR machines.

Advantages: The counting can be done in a central area and therefore less machines would be needed. There is an audit trail. No special device needed in the precincts. Usage training would be much easier since OMR technology is used in tests like the NCEE. A large number of voters, at least all those who have taken the NCEE, would have experienced its use. Add to this all those who have experienced "lotto" betting. Lotto uses the same technology.

Disadvantages: Counting is not done at the precincts. Precision is needed in the printing of ballots.

The OMR solution was actually the one chosen by the original team that studied the various systems available in the market. Other advantages are:

the machines are simple to operate; ordinary pencils can be used to mark the ballots; no need to write the names of the candidates and therefore faster to vote;
some versions of the machines are even portable and are battery operated --- just what we need for areas with no electricity.

The cost to purchase the machines would be approximately P1.2 to P1.5 billion, depending on the brand. This is really cheap considering that
they can be used over and over again. They can even be loaned to testing and survey-taking organizations like the National Statistics Office, the Civil Service Commission, schools, etc.

To the question, "Wouldn't an automated voting system facilitate wholesale cheating?", the answer is --- "that's extremely difficult".

An experienced Filipino hacker tried to manipulate the contents of the disk output of the system that the COMELEC used during the ARMM elections of 1996 and 1998. He worked on it for two weeks but he couldn't even open the file. Apparently, it has very good security features.

And then there are some other advantages that are common to all automated voting systems:
The BEI can go home earlier, reducing the risks to their lives, no need to stay all night counting in the precincts; transport of ballot boxes would be done during the day, therefore safer; canvassing can also be done by machine using the output from the ballot counting devices, thus practically eliminating the possibility of dagdag-bawas.

And then the mother of all advantages: The results would be known in 3-5 days!

Why Commissioner Tancangco and her group of three other COMELEC commissioners would keep on delaying the automation program is beyond me. It could not be the cost, because she was willing to spend P6.5 billion on an, at least at this time, unnecessary project. It's really beyond logic.

Call to Action

I certainly hope that the explanation of the automation process will clarify all the questions that might exist in the minds of the public. And having finally understood the issues, I hope the public will join us in our advocacy for the immediate implementation of the plan to modernize the election system, particularly the counting and canvassing processes.

Go back to Introduction

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