Smartmatic backs Comelec's plan to use mixed electoral systems

MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) plan to use two electoral systems in 2010 has been endorsed by a multinational company specializing on poll automation. Netherlands-based Smartmatic said the use of mixed electoral technologies would fit Philippine geography, the precincts' populations, and other factors. "We have done it before in other countries and the use of mixed electoral technologies is useful," Robert Cook, Smartmatic worldwide president, said in a news conference in Manila on Thursday. Smartmatic was involved in the successful use of poll automation in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) election last year. Cesar Flores, another Smartmatic official, said the Comelec was right in considering other factors in using both optical mark reader (OMR) and direct recording electronic (DRE). "There are still remote areas in the country while some precincts have small population, and of course the high and low density factors in some regions. So, it is better to use OMR voting machines which are cheaper rather than the DRE machines," Flores said. He added that in highly urbanized areas – such as Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, and Metro Davao – it is better to use DRE technology. OMR requires voters to fill out a paper ballot, which is then counted by a special machine. DRE allows a voter to cast a vote directly on a machine by the use of a touchscreen, touchpad, keypad or other similar devices, and the machine records the individual votes and calculates the total electronically. DREs operate on touchscreen voting with paper trail and electronic tabulation. IN the ARMM elections last Aug. 11, DRE was used in Maguindanao, paving the way for the province’s successful automated polls. According to Smartmatic, the proponent of DREs in the Philippines, electronic voting has become a successful trend in countries like Belgium, Brazil, India, and Venezuela, because these modern technologies contribute to safer, faster and more effective elections due to the absence of human intervention – therefore less prone to malice and dangers of cheating. Electronic voting has also increased voters' confidence and enabled the physically disabled to vote easily, correctly, and independently from outside assistance. Furthermore, nations looking toward modernizing their elections thrive in the notable success of electronic voting as proven in other countries. - GMANews.TV