Comelec to release Random Manual Audit results of May 13 polls within the week

 News
Jun 232013
 
The Commission on Elections will release this week the Random Manual Audit (RMA) results of 234 precincts during the May 13, 2013 midterm polls.

Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes said that, “Walang problema, 99.99 percent.”

However, he noted that not all the results from the 234 areas will be published, but he assured that it would be more than 200 precincts.

“Yung iba hindi na mailalabas dahil may court order like protective order, protest,” the poll body chief explained.

Republic Act 9369 or the Poll Automation Law states that there should be an RMA conducted in one precinct, randomly chosen  in each of the 234 congressional districts.

Earlier, Brillantes said that the RMAs of the 2013 and 2010 polls were practically the same.

He added that the accuracy rate was what they expected, adding that there can never be a 100 percent matching count.

“Visual appreciation and machine appreciation, there will always be difference. There will always be variants or discrepancies no matter how you look at it. It cannot be perfect no matter how you look at it,” he had said. — DVM, GMA News

Manual polls an option only for worst-case scenario — Brillantes

 News
Feb 072013
 
Manual polls an option only for worst-case scenario — Brillantes

Manual election is still an option in May, but only for the worst-case scenario, Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. said Thursday. “Manual is the final contingency kung talagang may mangyaring grabe na talagang hindi na matutuloy [ang automation],” Brillantes told reporters. Although Brillantes said they are ready for such eventuality, he expressed confidence that the present situation does not call for the manual conduct of elections. “Hindi naman tayo pupunta sa manual. The law already requires automation,” he said. He also said they are not giving weight to proposals to revert to manual polls. “Meron din kaming contingency in the event na kailangang mag-manual, pero hindi namin masyadong pinapansin ‘yan dahil hindi naman kami naniniwalang kailangan naming mag-manual,” the Comelec chief said. Members of the minority bloc at the House of Representatives on Wednesday said they would be “more comfortable” with a manual election after some glitches were observed during the mock elections held over the weekend in preparation for the May automated polls. During the mock polls held in various areas last Saturday, some glitches were encountered in transmitting the results and feeding the ballots to the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS). Brillantes, who said the mock polls generally went “smoothly” despite the glitches, said those who want manual elections should repeal Republic Act 9369, which mandates the automated casting and counting of votes. Section 1 of the Poll Automation Law states that: “It is policy of the State to ensure free, orderly, honest, peaceful, credible and informed elections… Read More …