Monday, September 08, 2003
Computerized polls to eliminate flying voters
THE regional director of the Commission on Election (Comelec) said Sunday the validation of voters with the use of the 54 data-capturing machines issued to Region 11 will minimize, if not to totally eliminate, flying voters in the coming 2004 elections.
Guesting at the Tabak forum at the Madayaw Ihaw-ihaw and Restaurant Sunday, Comelec Regional Chief Lirio T. Joquiño said the problem of "flying voters" is a perennial one.
"In the past elections, when you go to the voting precincts, the teachers do not know that such a person is already dead, so when a voter comes to vote using the name of a dead person, he or she will be given a ballot," Joquiño said.
She said with the new data-gathering machines, a photo with signature and fingerprints of the voter would be checked to really make sure that a voter is registered.
"Kaya nga kailangan natin ang (That's why we need) validation of registered voters, so that we can get their biometrics (photo, signature and fingerprint specimen) updated in our database, and to avoid the continuing existence of flying voters," Joquiño said.
"Registration of voters, according to the law, should be done in Comelec offices nationwide during office hours. Iba ang registration sa validation (Registration is different from validation). Registration is for first-time voters while validation is for those registered," she said.
Registration of voters is scheduled from August 18 to October 31, while validation of registered voters is from August 18 to December 12.
Joquiño said the Comelec is planning to buy 300 units of laptops to help in the registration processes, especially in far-flung barangays. RCB
(September 8, 2003 issue)
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