Automated Election Reflection

Automated elections!!!???

Before I start to share my insight about this “AUTOMATED ELECTION” I first discuss on what automated Election really is? Does it give an advantage or Disadvantage to the Filipino citizen? What benefits we can get using this kind of modern type of election system? Hmmm! Come and join me on exploring this topic.

What is automated election?

I. SITUATIONER

The conduct of elections in the Philippines for the past four decades has remained largely

unchanged. Philippine elections rely heavily on manual tallying and canvassing of votes thus making

them vulnerable to control and manipulation by traditional politicians and those with vested interests.

The cost of winning an elective post is highly expensive, and the absence of mechanisms to check

and limit sources of campaign funds become fertile grounds for corruption and divisiveness.

In recent years, initiatives to reform the electoral system included the enactment of the

following laws: Republic Act (RA) 8046, establishing a pilot program modernizing the registration

and vote counting process in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, the Party List Law,

Fair Elections Act and the Absentee Voting Act. To address the inadequacies and limitations of the

electoral process, RA 8436 or the Election Automation Act of 1997, was passed authorizing the

Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to use automated election system for vote counting and

canvassing in the national and local polls. The law provided for the generation of a national

computerized voters list, establishment of a voters identification card system and the automation of

the vote counting.

However, sectoral issues still hinder reform efforts in the electoral process. The following

have been identified as basic problems afflicting the electoral system: (a) outdated electoral

process; (b) failure to implement the electoral modernization law; (c) limited administrative and

regulatory capabilities of the COMELEC; (d) ineffective educational/information campaigns on

new laws and policies; (e) weak political party system; (f) unaccountable political financing; and

(g) defective party list system (Governance Assessment, 2003).

II. GOALS, STRATEGIES AND ACTION PLANS

To ensure a credible and transparent electoral process, the modernization of the electoral

system through computerization shall be supported to ensure the credibility of polls and correct the

deficiencies in the electoral system. Likewise, the Omnibus Election Code shall be further revised

and amended to respond to the needs of the present electoral system.

Measures to strengthen the party system and regulate the activities of political parties shall

be created. State financing of political parties shall also be considered through the passage of the

Campaign Finance Bill.

The COMELEC’s capacity to raise the level of political discourse and educate citizens

Regarding their right to vote will be enhanced. This will be done through conduct of continuing

Citizen and voter education through partnership with civil society groups and other government

Institutions, the electorate must be empowered with information that would help them vote

Intelligently, the challenge is to develop the people’s appreciation of their vote as a means to

Reform the government and receive better services from it. Part of this challenge is the need to

Raise the awareness of the electorate on relevant issues and the corresponding platforms of the

Candidates, if the country is to shift from the politics of personality to the politics of party

Programs

Does it give an advantage or Disadvantage to the Filipino citizen?

Automated election was commonly implemented to the country who wants a clean and a fair result of election. Because as of now we are in the technologies era in which most of the country who wants to be modernize their election for a certain Advantage of using a technology, especially in dealing with the integrity of the vote of each citizen in the country. As of now our country are trying to embrace this automated election for some reason, the Filipino citizen wants to maintain the security of the vote and hoping that one day they really feel their vote. And the cheating during election will be minimize, we can not say that cheating were totally vanished although we are using an electronically election system but some of political candidates are trying to buy the vote of the voters. The Philippines will hold automated presidential elections next year after the partners of a joint venture that won a $150 million deal to supply counting machines patched up their differences on Friday, officials said. Now we can differentiate the advantage and the disadvantage. Although it so expensive to have this kind of electronically base of election system but the important for us voters is our votes will be count to the corresponding candidates that we are going to vote.

What benefits we can get using this kind of modern type of election system?

If we can meet the goal of this automated election we can say that there is a lot of benefits that we can get from this. One, we can establish to other country that we have a good election system in our country. Second, the tourist will be fascinating to visits our country because we have a leader that really voted by the majority. Third, the integrity of COMELEC will be maintain and so for..

As an IT student do I care on this matter?

Yes, of course this is one of the hottest issues in the country today regarding the usage of technologies. If I have been choose weather manual or automated. I go for automated because being an IT, I saw the big advantage of having an electronically base of election system. In my insight through using this kind of technologies can provide a leader who are really voted by the voters. For short, cheating during the counting of ballots will be prevented and the fairness to the candidates will reign. So, the confidence of the voters will become more strong and same with the trust for the leader that they have been vote. Actually before adopting this kind of system I know that we can encounter a big problem in terms with the financial needs. we are not blind on what is the real status of our economics right now, we are affected by the global financial crisis but we are hoping that through investing this kind of election system will help our country to develop.

http://www.neda.gov.ph/ads/mtpdp/mtpdp2004-2010/pdf/mtpdp%2020042010%20neda_chapterx13_elections.pdf