Comelec to field-test poll machines

MANILA, Philippines - Preparations are underway to subject some precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines to field tests, an official of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said yesterday.

Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal said the simultaneous tests are scheduled in 10 polling centers around the country.

The voting centers are located in Pateros; Taguig City; Bakun, Benguet; Naga City; Cebu; and Lake Sebu, South Cotabato.

“We already know that the end-to-end system works and it has to be replicated in the field to simulate the conditions on election day,” he noted in a press briefing.

Under the plan, 10 PCOS machines will be used to replicate the voting, counting and canvassing processes in the testing areas.

Some of the areas where the machines would be tested are located in “far-flung” provinces to show that the PCOS system works not only in urban areas, he said.

The field test, however, does not involve any voter but will be administered by the Comelec Advisory Council, Technical Evaluation Committee, the Department of Science and Technology, Smartmatic International Corp.-Total Information Management Corp. and Comelec.

At present, laboratory tests are being conducted on the machines in the warehouse in Cabuyao, Laguna where they are kept.

Some 25,000 PCOS units are now in the warehouse while 8,000 more are on their way to the Philippines from Smartmatic’s factory in China.

A total of 82,200 PCOS machines have been ordered by the Comelec.