Comelec releases list of pilot areas for poll automation

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has come out with the list of possible areas where the pilot automated elections will be implemented next year.

Comelec Education and Information Department (EID) director James Jimenez said the advisory council has identified the 12 areas and will submit the list to the Comelec en banc for approval.

Jimenez said that for the poll automation in Luzon, the council selected the cities of Mandaluyong and Las Piñas or Marikina and the provinces of Ilocos Sur, Batanes or Rizal and for the Visayas province it will be Aklan, Capiz and a choice between Biliran or Siquijor and the cities of Bacolod, Mandaue, Iloilo or Cebu.

The provinces of Misamis Oriental and Compostela Valley or the Sarangani provinces were chosen in Mindanao, as well as the cities of General Santos, Iligan or Butuan.  

In a radio interview, Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos said the advisory chose Batanes as the farthest northern province and Tawi-Tawi as the farthest southern province to show to the public the importance of the electronic transmission of election data.

According to Jimenez, the areas were chosen based on the size or the number of registered voters. Total number of votes in these areas is more than three million.

He, however, clarified that the list is not yet official since it will still await the approval of the Comelec en banc.

"The list is not yet final, the advisory council will still meet on Friday after which their recommendation will be submitted to the Commission en banc for approval," Jimenez said.

Earlier, the congressional bicameral conference committee passed a bill providing for full poll automation in 12 areas, including two provinces and two highly urbanized cities for May 2007.

The Comelec is yet to select the technology to be used in next year’s elections.