EDITORIAL - Prepare for the next one

Between saboteurs in koala-like masks and the crackpots who have been given free rein by lawmakers to air the wildest accusations of poll fraud, something should emerge that can improve the conduct of the next nationwide elections.

The precinct count optical scan machines provided by Smart-matic appear to have survived the flood of accusations, hurled mainly by losing candidates, of electronic cheating. But an estimated 1.3 million ballots were spoiled, according to reports, due to under- or over-voting, or making unnecessary markings on the paper, or failing to sufficiently shade the ovals beside the names of candidates.

The Commission on Elections, assisted by the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, had conducted an information campaign in the weeks leading up to the elections, alerting voters precisely about the possible reasons for ballots to be spoiled or for the PCOS machines to reject ballots or skip certain votes. Whichever automated system is used in the next elections, the information campaign will have to be intensified to ensure that spoiled ballots will be minimized.

On election day it was clear that the voting process needed a lot of fine-tuning. In manual elections, voters did not have to wait in line for up to five hours to cast their ballots. The long wait last May 10, often in the scorching summer heat outside polling precincts, prompted many to just skip voting. This has to be one of the reasons for the drop in the voter turnout from the traditionally high 80 percent average to about 75 percent. With 50.7 million registered voters, that translates into millions of people failing to exercise their right to vote.

The clustering of precincts for automation created confusion, and Comelec-deputized teachers were overwhelmed. Voters were slowed down in filling out the ballots by the faintness of the ovals that had to be shaded. Comelec officials had identified the glitches and pinpointed the reasons, which should make it easier to come up with solutions. The poll body should be better prepared when the next elections roll around.