Learnings from ARMM

If it weren't for the technical glitches, the direct recording electronic machines used during the elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao provided much promise. People had an easy way during the polls, save for the failure of some machines to function properly. Some said they even enjoyed the experience. Part of the reason of the high turnout of voters (84 percent according to Comelec Chairman Jose Melo) was the curiosity of the public how the machines look like. At the Shariff Aguak Central Elementary School, Adela Casingal, 80, was ecstatic after she cast her vote. "Hindi kumplikado. Easy. Perfect," she said. She showed a primer on the elections and pointed at the five steps to voting. She has been reading the primer and found it easy to understand. Maguindanao was the only province in the region to use the direct recording electronic machines. The system uses a voting pad where the names of the candidates and the positions they are vying are shown. A voter only has to press the picture of the candidate to vote. Tayu Calunsing, 80, smiled and said she prefers the new system even after the machine she used bogged down. The failure of some machines to function properly revealed the areas of improvement for the system. Calunsing's machine lost power while she was casting her vote. She was asked to transfer to another voting machine. Vince Dizon, assistant general manager for Corporate Communications of SMARTMATIC, the company that provided the machines, said the technical glitches could be attributed to several factors, including human error. "Pwedeng problema sa wiring. Pwedeng nakalog ang makina habang tina-transport. But we have a lot of back-up machines," said Dizon. Dizon said the votes in a voting machine that bogs down would not be affected. A USB disk stores the votes, which would later be transferred to another machine. The machines survived a brownout for about three hours using car batteries. The bogging down of the machines was a minor worry compared to the problem encountered during the transmission of votes. Glitches in the transmission could be the Achilles heel of the system. Estelita Orbase, Maguindanao Provincial Election Supervisor, said five municipalities - South Upi, Talisay, Sultan sa Barongis, Pagalungan and Pagagawan - failed to electronically transmit the results of the elections. At 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, the Comelec announced the schedule of the proclamation of three assemblymen who will represent the province of Maguindanao. But when journalists reached the Capitol, they were told that the consolidation of votes was only 97 percent complete. The canvassers were still waiting for South Upi's USB. At 3 p.m., South Upi's Board of Election Supervisors arrived. Elections officer Alice Lim said South Upi failed to transmit. "Masama kasi ang panahon 'dun," she said. She said they have to travel seven hours by land to reach Shariff Aguak. Dizon said the transmission tower in South Upi in North Cotabato has been down since 5:30 p.m. Monday. They have not gone yet to the site due to "security reasons." As of Tuesday evening, journalists continued to wait for the proclamation of the winners. An inefficient transmission system defeats the purpose of the technology, which is supposed to electronically transmit the votes without the risky business of physically transporting the ballots as in the case of the Optical Mark Reader system used in other areas of ARMM. The problem with the ARMM elections was it was launched with high expectations. Most of the time, expectations do not measure up to the realities on the ground. The feeling that one gets while waiting for the proclamation of winners, roughly 28 hours after the elections, was familiar. One could almost imagine the teachers painstakingly writing the figures on Manila paper posted on the blackboard, like in the old days. The wait is still long. Indeed, the road to automation is paved with learnings, such as the ones we have experienced in Shariff Aguak in Maguindanao. If there's one consolation, it is perhaps the fact that people went out to vote despite the tense security situation. By the truckloads they came and showed a crucial ingredient of any election, and perhaps governance: Faith in the system.