Comelec eyes automating future barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections is looking into automating future barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE), Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said yesterday.

“There is no turning back for us anymore. Let’s proceed with the automation. We can no longer proceed using the manual elections,” Garcia said in a press conference, referring to the poll body’s plans to use the automated elections system (AES) in future BSKEs.

The Comelec has been using the AES for the national and local elections since 2010.

As part of its efforts to shift to automating the BSKE, the Comelec is set to pilot-test automated elections in Barangays Zone II Poblacion and Paliparan II in Dasmariñas, Cavite and in Barangay Pasong Tamo, Quezon City.

Garcia explained that automating the BSKE will be beneficial to teachers who will serve as electoral board members as it would spare them almost 24 hours of working, compared to the manual setup. He said that in manual elections, ballots are counted until the wee hours.

“The process is long. What if there are early voting hours for (persons with disabilities), seniors, pregnant women and (indigenous peoples)?” Garcia said in Filipino.

“It cannot be denied that it is more convenient to count ballots using machines. In 30 minutes, you have results,” he added.

The Comelec earlier denied that the results of last year’s general elections had been rigged.