PCOS demo center opens today

CEBU, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) -7 will officially open the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machine demonstration center today at SM City Cebu.

This is so first time voters and even non-registered voters will familiarize  themselves with the PCOS machine so they would be ready for the upcoming May 2013 election.

Comelec-7 Regional Director Temie Lambino said that all first time voters are encouraged to visit the PCOS demo Center at the lower ground floor of SM city Cebu so they can see for themselves how the system works.

Lambino said that they are also open for non-registered voters to try the machine to help encourage them to register and vote for the next election. “This should give them more persuasive reason why they should vote.”

Those interested will be able to join a mock voting and feed their ballot to the PCOS machine, said Lambino, explaining that PCOS machine education is one way for them to show the people that there is nothing to fear in the use of the machine.

Lambino said that out of the 100 percent of voters registered for the election, usually there is a huge 20 percent that do not vote.

The PCOS demo center will run starting today until the end of April.

 Meanwhile, 1,400 PCOS machine technicians for Cebu were in their second day of training yesterday.

Comelec Provincial Supervisor Eddie Aba said that most of the technicians are from the Department of Education while some were sourced from the IT industry.

After the training, IT technicians will have refresher courses prior the election.

Further, Aba said that they expect for the final ballots to arrive a week before May 13. Last Tuesday, Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes said all the ballots to be used for the election are already done printing.  (FREEMAN)