The Commission on Elections says the precinct count optical scan machines may make yet another comeback in the general elections in 2016. New machines are costly, Comelec officials say, and besides the PCOS machines provided by Smartmatic have performed well with only minor glitches in 2010 and in the just-concluded midterm elections.
The glitches involved thousands of PCOS machines, and the number is not something to sneeze at. Before election day, Comelec officials said they had factored in potential glitches and had put thousands of PCOS machines on standby for deployment to areas where glitches would be reported. Generators were also placed on standby in case of blackouts, although the Comelec emphasized that the PCOS machines could run on batteries.
Election day was not completely blackout-free. Meanwhile, the PCOS machines have been blamed for the slow transmission of results. Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. proclaimed all the 12 winning candidates for senator based on fewer than half of the 304 certificates of canvass, opening himself and the poll body to potential legal challenges.
A similar situation cannot prevail in 2016, when the nation picks a new president and vice president. From the moment the results are announced until the official proclamation, the mandate of the next president should be unassailable. A smooth transfer of power ensures the stability of governance of the incoming administration. The smooth transfer of power starts with credible elections.
Questions raised on the conduct of the 2004 elections led to persistent instability throughout the presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, affecting her governance and many other aspects of national life. Seeing the problems that have cropped up in this year’s elections, steps must be undertaken to prevent serious problems from undermining the credibility of the 2016 vote.