US-based foundation tapped to design guidebook to review automated polls

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has tapped the Washington-based International Foundation for Electoral System (IFES) to design the review guidebook that will be used to evaluate the May 10 automated polls.

“IFES is now really deep in the process of designing the review. It’s a very broad scope if you think about it. There are so many things to review,” said Comelec spokesman James Jimenez.

The website of IFES showed that the agency is a foundation that promotes “democratic stability by providing technical assistance and applying field-based research to the electoral cycle worldwide to enhance citizen participation and strengthen civil societies, governance and transparency.”

A panel of local and international experts would use the guidebook that IFES is formulating.

The Comelec would invite the panel of experts to assess the country’s first automated polls last May 10.

Jimenez said the elections would be reviewed on various aspects including as a public investment to determine if future elections should also be automated.

The review will also cover the performance of Smartmatic-Total Information Management Corp., which was contracted to provide the precinct count optical scan machines used in the polls, and the Comelec itself.