Automation of Automation of ElectionsElections

The Manual Election SystemThe Manual Election System

1. Ballots tallied by BEI in each precinct and ERs prepared

2. BEIs bring ERs to CMBOCs

3. CMBOCs canvass ERs and prepare SOVs and COCs; bring them to PBOCs

4. PBOCs canvass COCs and prepare provincial COCs and SOVs; bring them to NBOC

5. NBOC (Comelec) canvasses COCs; Congress canvasses Pres/VP COCs

Manual Tallying/Canvassing Time Line

10 days 20 30 40

CITY / MUNICIPAL, PROVINCIAL AND NATIONAL CANVASSING

(25 – 40 DAYS)PRECINCTTALLYING

5-12 hrs

Given the above time line, it becomes obvious, which phase of the election process should be automated.

Looking at it from another Looking at it from another perspectiveperspective

If we change the voting system,If we change the voting system, then we then we have to train 40-50 million voters on the new have to train 40-50 million voters on the new system; we also have to train some 500,000 system; we also have to train some 500,000 teachers.teachers.

If we automate the precinct counting,If we automate the precinct counting, then the process loses its transparency; then the process loses its transparency; counting will not be seen by the voting counting will not be seen by the voting public; automated cheating becomes a real public; automated cheating becomes a real possibility.possibility.

If we automate only the canvassing,If we automate only the canvassing, then we still cut down the election process then we still cut down the election process from 40 days to maybe 5 days. We can still from 40 days to maybe 5 days. We can still prevent wholesale cheating (dagdag-bawas). prevent wholesale cheating (dagdag-bawas).

Features of the “most suitable” automated system for Phil. elections

All steps transparent to the voting public• Manual voting and precinct tallying• Two “trusted” documents – the ballot and the ER• ER data and canvassing results available to the public• All data quickly verifiable all the way to original source

documents (the “trusted” documents) Can be completed anywhere from 2-5 days (automates

canvassing) All official Comelec sites/databases secure Minimum or no training required for >40M voters Cost-effective Minimum or no storage concerns after each election

process Not dependent on the trustworthiness of the implementers

IF we can design an election system that has those features, then we can greatly minimize, if not completely eliminate, cheating.

Direct Recording Electronic SystemDirect Recording Electronic System1. 2-4 Units per

precinct2. Touch screen,

mouse, or keyboard

3. Voter’s choices printed for audit purposes

4. At end of voting (3:00pm), ER is printed

5. ER transmitted to CMBOC and NBOC

6. NBOC transmits data to interested parties

7. CMBOC produces SOV and COC; transmits to PBOC

8. PBOC produces SOV and COC; transmits to NBOC

9. NBOC produces SOV and COC

DOMINANTPARTY

DOMINANTOPPOSITION

CITIZENSARM

MEDIA &OTHERS

CITY/MUNICIPALBOARD OF CANVASSERS

PROVINCIALBOARD OF CANVASSERS

NATIONALBOARD OF CANVASSERS

PRECINCTS

Direct Recording Electronic SystemDirect Recording Electronic System

Instantaneous tally of votes Instantaneous tally of votes at precinct levelat precinct level

If all precincts connected, If all precincts connected, almost instantaneous almost instantaneous canvass at City/Mun., Prov., canvass at City/Mun., Prov., & Natl. levels; ergo, & Natl. levels; ergo, theoretically, national theoretically, national results known 1 hr. after results known 1 hr. after close of votingclose of voting

Less work for BEI Less work for BEI With one printer per With one printer per

precinct, printing of 30 precinct, printing of 30 copies of ER at precincts is copies of ER at precincts is easyeasy

No ballot box snatchingNo ballot box snatching

Cost prohibitive, estimated Cost prohibitive, estimated at P15-20B (some est. at P15-20B (some est. >P30B)>P30B)

Logistics can be a Logistics can be a nightmare (750K units to nightmare (750K units to 250K locations)250K locations)

Thousands of technical Thousands of technical people req’d (but where to people req’d (but where to deploy?)deploy?)

BEI training staggeringBEI training staggering 40 Million voters to be 40 Million voters to be

trainedtrained Where online connection is Where online connection is

unavailable, difficult to unavailable, difficult to secure electronic media secure electronic media (CDs)(CDs)

After each election, After each election, storage of 750K units is storage of 750K units is major concernmajor concern

Not transparent. Voters will Not transparent. Voters will distrust vote-counting that distrust vote-counting that they did not see (a big they did not see (a big issue in the US)issue in the US)

PROs CONs

Optical Mark Reader- OMR

1. Voters mark pre-printed ballots

2. Ballot boxes brought to school tab (OMR) center.

3. Ballots fed into OMR then ERs printed; signed by BEI

4. ERs posted on the web

5. CMBOC will access database, produce SOV, COC

6. All interested parties may access and process the data by themselves

7. All interested parties can send SMS to watchers to verify figures

8. PBOCs access DB; produce Prov SOVs and COCs

9. NBOC accesses DB for final results

CITY/MUNICIPALBOARD OF CANVASSERS

PROVINCIALBOARD OF CANVASSERS

NATIONALBOARD OF CANVASSERS

DOMINANTPARTY

DOMINANTOPPOSITION

CITIZENSARM

MEDIA &OTHERS

DOMINANTPARTY

DOMINANTOPPOSITION

CITIZENSARM

MEDIA &OTHERS

VOTING CENTER

OMRPRECINCTS

Optical Mark RecognitionOptical Mark Recognition

Ballots are pre-printed so Ballots are pre-printed so voters simply mark choicesvoters simply mark choices

Voter training minimal, Voter training minimal, relative to DRErelative to DRE

Faster, because tally of Faster, because tally of votes automated votes automated

Less work for BEI at Less work for BEI at precinct levelprecinct level

Cost less than DRE; approx. Cost less than DRE; approx. P8B (using $2,000 OMRs)P8B (using $2,000 OMRs)

Internal tallying. Voters Internal tallying. Voters won’t see and may not won’t see and may not trust counttrust count

Wholesale cheating, Wholesale cheating, usually possible only at usually possible only at canvassing level, can canvassing level, can happen at precinct levelhappen at precinct level

Sensitivity to external Sensitivity to external marks or smudgesmarks or smudges

Difficult to fairly resolve Difficult to fairly resolve over-marked ballotsover-marked ballots

Easier to add to under-Easier to add to under-marked ballotsmarked ballots

Need to store specialized Need to store specialized OMR machinesOMR machines

PROs CONs

Option 2: Open Election System PC Encoding 1. Votes cast & tallied

as in manual voting2. ERs brought to

school encoding (PC) center

3. ERs validated then posted on the web w/ BEIs digital signature

4. CMBOC will access database, produce SOV, COC

5. All interested parties may access and process the data by themselves

6. All interested parties can send SMS to watchers to verify figures

7. PBOCs access DB; produce Prov SOVs and COCs

8. NBOC accesses DB for final results

CITY/MUNICIPALBOARD OF CANVASSERS

PROVINCIALBOARD OF CANVASSERS

NATIONALBOARD OF CANVASSERS

DOMINANTPARTY

DOMINANTOPPOSITION

CITIZENSARM

MEDIA &OTHERS

DOMINANTPARTY

DOMINANTOPPOSITION

CITIZENSARM

MEDIA &OTHERS

VOTING CENTER

ENCODING CENTERPRECINCTS

Open Election SystemOpen Election System Most transparent - voters Most transparent - voters

and watchers observe tally and watchers observe tally at precinct levelat precinct level

No need for voter trainingNo need for voter training Once ER is encoded, result Once ER is encoded, result

(web database) becomes (web database) becomes accessible to the publicaccessible to the public

Cost affordable at about P2B Cost affordable at about P2B (Comelec only buys (Comelec only buys PCs/servers) PCs/servers)

PCs/servers can be passed PCs/servers can be passed on to DepEd after each on to DepEd after each electionelection

No storage concerns, No storage concerns, because machines can be because machines can be passed on to DepEdpassed on to DepEd

Ballot box Ballot box snatching/switching will not snatching/switching will not affect resultsaffect results

Manual tallying is tediousManual tallying is tedious ERs will have to be ERs will have to be

encoded encoded Looking for tens of Looking for tens of

thousands of encoders is a thousands of encoders is a challengechallenge

Since it’s still manual Since it’s still manual tallying, public may think tallying, public may think that election is not that election is not automatedautomated

PROs CONs

Thank you!Thank you!