PCOS Machines All Here

Here’s a little something for the doomsayers.
The Commission on Elections has announced the completion of deliveries of all the Precint Count OPtical Scan Machines to be used in the elections in May. The final delivery was made February 27, one day before the deadline. Smartmatic delivered about 82,000 optical scan machines.
With the completion of the [...]

Globe Turns Down Use of Makati Facility For Automated Elections

Globe Telecom has changed its mind on its agreement with Comelec and Smartmatic for the use of its data center in Makati as a data processing center for the elections in May.
The telecommunications company has expressed apprehension, saying its facility may be compromised. Not even a proposed deployment of soldiers to secure its facility could [...]

Automated Elections Fears

The Commission on Elections is right in identifying fear as the greatest danger to automation. Just consider what’s out there in the news  on the poll automation project — the dangers of hacking, delays in preparations, the inevitability of electoral fraud, and worst of all failure of elections.
While it is okay to raise concerns, those [...]

Smartmatic Delivers PCOS Machines

The Bureau of Customs is set to release the 4,000 Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines that were deliered to the country last night.  An inspection of the machines before Comelec officials has reportedly been scheduled for tomorrow morning. Smartmatic-TIM expects to complete the delivery of all 82,000 machines by February 21.
I wish I could [...]

Comelec: Smartmatic Not Liable For Delays

As it turns out even the Commission on Elections agrees that Smartmatic cannot be blamed for the delays in the shipping of its Precinct Count Optical Scan machines or PCOS.
Here’s what Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez had to say about the issue. This is taken from an ans-cbnnews.com report.
COMELEC spokesman James Jimenez confirmed a “gentleman’s agreement” [...]

What Yellow Button?!?

I’m really beginning to hate all things yellow. On top of my “hate list” now is this “yellow fever” infecting the nation. What’s with that, really? A revered democracy icon dies and her son suddenly becomes a top choice for the presidency. Where’s the logic in that?
Anyway, yesterday I found out about a so-called “yellow [...]

Smartmatic’s System Up Close

Finally a mainstream media report on poll automation that is truly informative and devoid of the usual doomsday scenarios. I’m talking about this report from Business Mirror titled “Smartmatic Briefs Media On Counting Machines.”
I will provide a link below but first I’d like to say that you should read this thoroughly to understand that all [...]

Wait For The Source Code, Worry About Lawyers, Sabotage and Forgetful Teachers

(Here’s a guest post from Earl Rosero, a poll automation supporter. You can find more of Earl’s thoughts in his blog Citizen Earl.)

Yes, like you I also dream, hope and work for a better Philippines. In my spare time, I volunteer in the Project Ecokids of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines. [...]

Lozada… Pota

Self-described Information Technology expert Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada has raised an issue against the automated election system. Lozada points out that the PCOS system lacks what is called a ‘point of transaction acknowledgment’ or POTA.
What’s POTA anyway? As Lozada defined it POTA is that piece of paper one gets after an electronic transaction like when we [...]

PCOS (Precinct Count Optical Scan) Machines – Unboxed

We took on the invitation of Smartmatic to see how the voting machines worked. But I went one step further. Being a self-professed geek, I asked the Smartmatic demo people if I could do an “unboxing” article in  the spirit of Gizmodo and other gadget publications out there.
After some friendly persuasion and assurances that I [...]