Automated poll bidders to showcase technologies

At least 10 service providers will be given the opportunity to showcase their election technologies for possible use in the 2016 polls, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said.

These automated election system (AES) options will be presented at the AES Technology Fair on July 27 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.

The Comelec earlier said that it was open to the possibility of using a new AES for the 2016 polls, which could mean the junking of the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines that were used in previous polls.

Several prospective service providers have already been contacted and have confirmed their participation in the one-day event that will be conducted by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Comelec Advisory Council (CAC), the poll body said.

“To date, eight developers, both foreign and local, have confirmed their participation in the fair,” the Comelec said in a statement.

The trade fair for technology suppliers, which is being held as part of the National Science and Technology week celebrations, is intended to help the CAC in deciding which AES it will recommend to the poll body for the 2016 national and local elections.

During the fair, AES technology providers will be given the opportunity to present their respective election technologies to the public.

Under the election automation law, the CAC is mandated to recommend to the Comelec “the most appropriate, secure, applicable and cost-effective technology to be applied in the AES.”

The council is composed of the Comelec, Department of Education, information technology professionals, nongovernment election watchdog groups and the Department of Science and Technology’s Information and Communication Technology Office.

The CAC is also evaluating the condition of more than 80,000 PCOS machines to determine if they can still be used in the coming polls.

The PCOS machines were first leased by the Comelec from Smartmatic International for the 2010 polls and were later purchased for P1.8 billion for the 2013 elections.

The commission en banc has given the CAC until the middle of August to submit its recommendation.