Comelec rethinks technology dry run

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) might not push through with its plan to pilot-test the touch screen technology and Internet voting during the 2016 balloting.

A Comelec insider said the en banc was reevaluating its plan to conduct a dry run of the direct recording electronic (DRE) technology and the Internet voting for Filipinos abroad due to many setbacks.

For the Internet voting for instance, the Overseas Voting Act of 2013 remains insufficient in giving the election body authority to use the online technology, the source told reporters in an interview. He requested anonymity for lack of clearance to discuss the matter.

“What the Comelec wants is for the legal issue whether we can indeed use the Internet voting system or not be resolved first. Having such a law will give us the necessary flexibility,” according to the source.

He said the public bidding for the lease of 410 DRE machines has been temporarily suspended pending evaluation of the Comelec’s plan to push through with its pilot-testing next year.