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 who insist on promoting these scenarios should at least exercise some restraint. Their incessant fear-mongering does nothing but confuse and mislead the public. Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez highlights this in the flowing report from abs-cbnnews.com.

'Fear is the greater danger to automation'

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By Reynaldo Santos Jr., Newsbreak | 01/19/2010 7:33 PM

Some ratings given by a new poll watchdog are misleading, says Comelec

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Tuesday a watchdog's unfavorable assessment of the poll body's preparations is unnecessarily creating fear and undermining the public's confidence in the first ever nationwide automated elections.

At best, the rating given to the Comelec in the aspect of source code review is "misleading," said James Jimenez, the commission's spokesman.

However, he said, the Comelec is willing to sit down with the representatives of the Automated Election Watch (AES Watch) to discuss their concerns.

AES Watch released its System Trustworthiness, Accountability and Readiness (STAR) scorecard Monday, giving the Comelec the "danger" rating to Comelec’s preparations for the May 10 automated elections. The group revealed “several technical vulnerabilities” in the preparations, hence the failing mark.

AES Watch was formed last October by some 200 signatories--among them academics and IT professionals--to a petition seeking the release of the source code for the automated elections. The group believes that a code kept secret would enable hackers as well as high-tech fraudsters to sabotage or manipulate the elections.

Source code review
Jimenez said that concerns like these, brought up without proper context and enough details, undermine the public’s confidence in the automation system. “Fear is the greater danger to automation,” he said.

“We feel that it is only fair not just to the Comelec but also to the public that the true background of this report and these ratings should be made know to everyone. Otherwise, the public will...unecesarily lose faith in the electoral system that we're pushing for 2010,” he said.

Out of the 20 "concerns" evaluated, AES Watch gave a "warning" rating to 11 items, and a "danger" rating to 8. These "concerns" include election machine quality, voters education, training of teachers, and other aspects of election preparation.

Jimenez said that it is important to know how Comelec was evaluated for each category. “The final evaluation might turn out to be very misleading,” he said.

He noted the "failed" mark given to the poll body’s handling of the source code review. AES Watch said that Comelec was not able to make the review available to interested parties.

But Jimenez have assurances that the review of the source code, which is still subject for review and certification by an independent firm based in the United States, will be made available. “It's hard to see how it is a failed mark. That, at least, is a very misleading statement,” he said.

Most watched
He added that the ratings had been premised “on the fact, or at least on the allegation, that the General Instructions (GI) had not yet been published.” He said that the AES Watch scorecard was released days after the December release of the GI.

Comelec also dispelled fears that the automated elections will be full of cheating. “The system was designed to be resistant to cheating,” Jimenez said. He noted, among others, the “high level of engagement” of civil society group and the backup redundancies in transmitting votes on election day.

“We expect this to be the ‘most watched’ election in recent history. We are very confident that any events of cheating will be immediately stopped,” Jimenez said.

Jimenez added that the Comelec is willing to come out with a “comprehensive response” to the scorecard, and is willing to work with AES Watch to “clarify some of their allegations and to remove unnecessary apprehension.” (Newsbreak)

If you feel like these election doomsday scenarios are getting to you and you are now having doubts about trying out the automated system I suggest you visit one of my old posts titled "Comelec Inviting Doubters, Naysayers."