PCOS INTRODUCED, VOTERS EDUCATED

ANGELES CITY – The Angeles City Government in partnership with the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) is holding a series of Voters Education Seminars that started Saturday, March 27, 2010 at the Angeles City Library in preparation of the upcoming automated elections.

In accordance to the Republic Act (RA) 9369 or otherwise known as the amended Automated Elections System Law authored by Senator Richard J. Gordon, voters are expected to cast their political bets on a new and unfamiliar platform in the upcoming 2010 election.

To familiarize Angeleños to the new technology, the local government has invited Provincial Election Supervisor Atty. Temie Perez Lambino to discuss issues and answer queries regarding the automated elections. The first session was attended by almost 1,200 poll watchers for Mayor Francis “Blueboy” L. Nepomuceno.

Lambino briefed the attendees with the fundamentals of the voting procedure. The hallmark of the lecture is the demonstration of the capabilities of Smartmatic’s Precinct Count Optical Scanner (PCOS). PCOS is a paper-based automated election system (AES) that was commissioned to be used for May’s historic elections.

The new system requires voters to shade ovals that correspond to a particular candidate similar to filling out a lottery ticket. Names of the candidates are “pre-printed” into the ballot unlike the former process of writing each political bet manually. Each precinct will get a specific type of ballot with local officials of that specific area printed on one page, and national candidates on the reverse page. Other features of the election system were presented with the use of an audio-visual aid prepared by the Angeles City Information Office (CIO).

“It is very crucial for Angeleños to be familiar with the new election proceedings. Familiarity would decrease anxiety, hence, reducing the risk for errors. It is of great importance to guarantee that voters will know how to cast their votes in this year’s election. This will prevent voters from being disenfranchised or their ballots being spoiled,” said Nepomuceno while citing the importance of the seminar.

More information regarding the AES could be found at COMELEC’s website: http://www.comelec.gov.ph YAM/CIO