Poll machines fail initial tests - Comelec

MANILA, Philippines - Some of the newly delivered precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines to be used in the upcoming elections have failed in initial test, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) confirmed yesterday.

At a press conference, Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal revealed that some of the PCOS machines rejected and did not read most of the ballots inserted during a laboratory test.

“It happened on the first day of the lab test being conducted in the (Smartmatic) warehouse in Cabuyao, Laguna,” Larrazabal reported.

Of the 600 sample ballots inserted in one of the three PCOS machines being tested, only 30 were accepted and read.

But Larrazabal dismissed the machine failure as a minor error caused by the pre-set “high shading threshold” that was easily and immediately corrected by Smartmatic and Comelec.

According to Larrazabal, the machines were erroneously set at a high shading threshold, and were thus unable to read the sample ballots with partially shaded ovals.

“The shading threshold or the prescribed amount of ink supposed to be covering the ovals was very high so the ballots were rejected, but when it was lowered to 50 percent level, the machines were able to read the ballots already,” Larrazabal pointed out.

He stressed that laboratory tests are being conducted primarily to enable Smartmatic and Comelec to immediately resolve any problems that may occur.

“The machines are being tested in the warehouse and again in polling places nationwide before election day so we would know if they will work and if not, concerns can be addressed,” Larrazabal explained.

A few weeks ago, Smartmatic delivered 7,200 PCOS machines which are all undergoing laboratory tests in Cabuyao.

He expressed hope that Comelec and Smartmatic would be able to complete the tests by the weekend so they could focus on the 10,000 additional machines to be delivered on Jan. 12.

Larrazabal said there was a delay in the delivery of the 10,000 machines because they were not immediately loaded for shipment to the Philippines. – With Helen Flores and Jose Rodel Clapano