Comelec tries out hybrid voting

At a voting center in Bacoor, Cavite, it was déjà vu for residents during a public demonstration of the “hybrid” voting system utilizing the precinct automatic tallying system (Patas) organized by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) at the Bacoor National High School Annex in Barangay Tabing Dagat.

They were taken back to the time prior to the advent of automated voting in the Philippines. They filled out the ballots by hand, writing in the names of their candidates, and the count was tallied on a blackboard.

But some things were new. The counted votes were encoded on a laptop and simultaneously flashed on a projector screen so observers could immediately spot discrepancies. The partial results were then uploaded on a quick count server accessible on the Internet.

The hybrid voting, which covered two precincts with 394 registered voters, was requested by former Election Commissioner Gus Lagman.

“This is part and parcel of the Comelec’s effort to study the options available for the May elections, and after we deliberate on this option we plan to consult with the stakeholders… because we want to make sure that before we make a decision, it is done in a consultative manner,” said Comelec Chair Andres Bautista in a press briefing on Saturday during the demonstration.

While Lagman has been campaigning for a hybrid voting system, it was only recently that the Comelec became receptive to his views.

Bautista said the Comelec has to make a decision by next month so it could prepare for the May 9 elections.

Under Patas, only the transmission and canvassing of ballots will be automated, while the voting and counting of ballots will be done manually.

In a separate briefing, Lagman said the system might be slower but it had features that would allow for enhanced transparency in the counting of votes.