Comelec, 4 poll system providers tackle online voting solutions

Jimenez, meanwhile, added that the systems to be presented may not be the ones that would be used in the next elections. (PNA photo by Rico Borja)

MANILA – Four election system providers would participate in the four-day online consultative meetings by the Office for Overseas Voting (OFOV) of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) which started on Tuesday.

“The purpose of the consultation is to be able to gather enough information on online voting that can be presented to Congress for its consideration.

If and when such a system is eventually put into action depends on Congress,” Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said in a statement.

Dominion Voting Systems was the first to present its election system to external stakeholders during the meetings held via videoconferencing.

On Wednesday, Indra will present its election system while Smartmatic Internal will explain its online voting solutions on Thursday.

Voatz is the last to present its system on Friday.

Jimenez, meanwhile, added that the systems to be presented may not be the ones that would be used in the next elections.

“Please note that these solutions may not necessarily be deployed in 2022,” Jimenez said.

In the May 12, 2019 midterm polls, the poll body last utilized the vote count machines (VCMs). The country started using an automated election system nationwide during the May 10, 2010 national and local polls.