End-to-end demo of ‘hybrid’ poll system set

FOR the first time, an end-to-end demonstration of the hybrid election system would be conducted this week before officials of the Commission on Elections (Comelec). According to former Comelec Commissioner Gus Lagman, the demonstration of the Precinct Automated Tallying System (Patas), formerly known as the Transparent and Credible Election System (TCRES), has been set this Saturday, June 27. He said they have yet to determine the venue but it would be conducted in a classroom, where actual election is being held. “The demonstration is like a mock election, it will be end-to-end,” said Lagman. Comelec officials headed by Chairman Andres Bautista and other poll commissioners are expected to attend the event.

“We are very happy that the Comelec is very receptive to new ideas… Not just receptive, but the attitude of the Comelec is really encouraging,” Lagman added. The election system is one of the alternative options being considered by the poll body for the next elections. Under Patas, voting and precinct counting are accomplished manually with the latter done with simultaneous encoding and projected for public view just prior to transmission.
The precinct results will be electronically transmitted to the municipal, provincial, and national board of canvassers as well as in the central verification server for the official automated canvassing of votes.

At the same time, Lagman said he is aware of the possibility that their system may not be chosen by the Comelec.
“I think the Comelec is right in commencing with all the options at the same time before deciding by the end of July. If they do it one by one only, they will run out of time,” he said. At present, a parallel public bidding is being conducted by the poll body on the refurbishment of the old Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines as well as the lease of all new Optical Mark Reader (OMR) machines.-pna