eCOMELEC

Want to know how automated voting machines work? Then visit the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) main office in Intramuros, Manila to learn more.

The COMELEC announced today that starting July 7, 2008, voters from the National Capital Region may participate in the poll body’s series of election automation demonstrations where they can have a hands-on experience and appraise for themselves the technologies that will be used in the 11 August 2008 automated elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

The poll automation demos for the public will run in two sessions daily at the COMELEC Automated Electoral System (AES) Information Office, ground floor Palacio del Gobernador Bldg. Intramuros, Manila; at 11:00 AM – 12:00 Nn and 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM.

However, due to the limited seats available, the COMELEC advises the public to schedule their visits. Interested parties may call telephone numbers 525-9294 or 525-9301. They may also visit http://comelec.wordpress.com.

On the said demonstrations, COMELEC educators and representatives from technology suppliers, Smartmatic-SAHI and Avante International, will conduct actual trainings on the usage of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and automated counting machines (ACMs). Video presentations and tutorials will also be shown.

Two technologies will be implemented in the automated ARMM elections; they are the Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) system and the Optical Mark Reader (OMR) system.

The DRE system uses touch-screen or touch-pad technology and is fully automated from voting to counting and final transmission of results to the canvassing centers at the provincial and regional levels. OMR technology, on the other hand, requires voters to fill out a paper ballot which is scanned by specially designed machines.

Smartmatic-SAHI will implement the DRE system in Maguindanao while Avante International will provide OMR technology for the other five ARMM provinces, namely, Lanao del Sur, Shariff Kabunsuan, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. ###

After taking their oaths this morning in a simple ceremony at the Commission on Elections office in Manila, newly appointed Commissioners retired Court of Appeals Justice Lucenito Tagle and former Malabon Regional Trial Court Acting Judge Leonardo Leonida started to buckle down to work.

“We won’t even allow these two to warm their seats here in the office,” quipped COMELEC Chairman Jose A.R. Melo during a brief press conference after the ceremony.

“They will be deployed immediately to oversee the upcoming automated elections in the ARMM,” the COMELEC chief said.

Both Commissioners Tagle and Leonida agree that the 11 August 2008 automated elections at the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) is fated to serve as a “litmus test” not only for the full automation of the country’s electoral system come 2010, but also “to prove that the COMELEC is doing its job well.”

Hit the ground running

“We expect them to hit the ground running. We only have a month before the ARMM elections, their baptism of fire, so we asked them to buckle down to work right away,” said Melo.

Commissioner Tagle, worked as a Special Attorney for the COMELEC fresh out of UP College of Law in 1960. He stated that he was all keyed up to be back to the institution he once served.

“Though this came as a surprise, I’m very happy to be back,” he said, adding that he just retired from the Court of Appeals a week ago. He also considers his new job as COMELEC Commissioner a “perfect birthday gift” as he just celebrated his 70th birthday last June 26.

“I vow to improve the image of the COMELEC, to make it more credible to the people,” he said.

For his part, Commissioner Leonida vowed to “uphold the mandate of the Commission to ensure clean, honest and orderly elections; enforce election laws fairly and render equal justice for all.” ###

IN THE MATTER OF THE PROVINCIAL ASSIGNMENTS OF THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION EN BANC IN CONNECTION WITH THE AUGUST 11, 2008 ARMM AUTOMATED ELECTIONS.

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APPLICATION OF RESOLUTION NO. 7842 OF THE    COMMISSION EN BANC PROMULGATED ON JULY 21, 2005

Download Memorandum Circular No. 08-01 >>>

Comelec Resolution No. 7542 >>>

Republic Act No. 9006 >>>

IN RE: PETITION FOR ACCREDITATION AS COMELEC’S CITIZEN ARM FOR THE AUGUST 11, 2008 AUTONOMOUS REGION FOR MUSLIM MINDANAO (ARMM) ELECTIONS

Petitioner:  PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL FOR RESPONSIBLE VOTING (PPCRV)

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