Chapter I

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

The Philippines is now moving towards automating the 2010 national election through the use of
Smartmatic Auditable Election System (SAES) which is a fully-automated, electronic voting system. The
Commission on Election (COMELEC) will use what is called Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS)
machines. The PCOS is a form of Optical Mark Reader (OMR) machines that function by reading and
counting the markings made by voters on the ballots after the same are fed to the machines.
This will change how voting is done in the Philippines, but with only a few months before its final
implementation some of the political and government elites are still apprehensive as to its claim of being
reliable and secure. Even most of the voters themselves are a bit pessimistic as to the final outcome of
the election.
Automated voting (sometimes referred to as electronic or e-voting) technologies are increasingly
used in elections across the world, particularly because they are often seen as a symbol of a countrys
modernization. Its possibility for a rapid aggregation and analysis of results, as well as potentially greater
accuracy, has all added to the attractiveness of computer-based voting equipment. There is little doubt
that the ability to quickly publish results can be of particular advantage in conflict and post-conflict
scenarios, where a prolonged period of counting can heighten tensions and reduce confidence in the final
results. The potential to remove some traditional elements of unintentional voter error or intentional fraud
can also contribute to greater confidence, while at the same time being automated it also raises new
questions as to its ability to counteract the biggest problem in computers and internet today, that of
hacking and virus attacks.
In the past, manual voting process was used in the Philippines to cast peoples votes by writing on
a ballot the names of their preferred candidates from the national to the local level and the ballot is
subsequently dropped inside a steel container called a ballot box. A local Board of Election Inspector
(BEI) proceeds to manually count the votes by reading the names of voted candidates on each ballot in
the presence of the candidates poll watchers on a tally sheet called an election return (ER) after the polls
closes.
Most of the proponent of voting automation is interested in knowing the advantages and
disadvantages of electronic voting so we must take into consideration the errors that may or may not be
insignificant factors that may prove to be its undoing in the end.

B. Statement of the Problem

The research aims to discover and understand what voting system is preferred by majority of
voters in the coming 2010 election. The study only surveyed voters of Barangay Comembo in Makati City
and specifically discussed the following subjects:

1.

How can the respondent be described in terms of the following:

a. Age
b. Sex
c. Profession

2. What type of voting system do the respondents prefer in the 2010 election?
a. Manual Voting System
b. Automated Voting System
3. Can the voter use the new voting machine without difficulty?
4. Has the voter been instructed on the proper voting procedures in the automated voting system?
5. Do the respondents believe that automating the voting process in 2010 will finally result in a clean and
honest election?
6. Do the respondents think that the 2010 automated election will be successful?

C. Significance of the Study

The objective of this study is to find out the dominant choice of the voters when it comes to the
style of voting system in the coming 2010 election through a representation of a small portion of the voting
population. The proponents would like to find out at the end of this study the most preferred type of voting
system among the voters of Comembo in Makati, whether it is manual system traditionally used in the
country or the new style of automated voting system.
The study will determine if majority of the respondents has the knowledge of the voting procedure
or processes covered by the automated voting system which is very different from the manual or the
traditional style of voting with which they are very familiar with. Their capability to use the new voting
machine which is another added factor into the system and its impact into the consciousness of an
individual will be revealed through this study.
The subsequent process the researchers would also like to find out is if other governing factors
affect their choice of having an automated voting machine or the traditional manual voting system.
Because there is a possibility that other factors might serve as the failure or delay in the 2010 election.
There are cases that automated voting can include viruses and hacking, as well as physical
tampering. Hackers are a big problem on the internet today. Although companies and organizations take
many precautions when it comes to their electronic products, there always seems to be ways to hack into
them. Electronic voting machines are no different than web sites or software; they can be penetrated and
altered by a hacker. Also, besides tampering with the machines electronically, machines could be
tampered physically, with foreign software being uploaded into the machine by someone trying to corrupt

the election results.

There are also cases that some voters dont have any idea in using a computer and are afraid that
they might make a mistake in voting by using the automated voting machines.
Making a research is not an easy task; to some students it only serves as a requirement in their
studies. Everyone must be reminded that a research study also serves a significant purpose. That is why
the proponents are guided by the principle that this study would not be just a means to accomplish their
academic requirements but also find this research to be very relevant and significant that can help and
guide our governments political system, economy and society in discussing the importance of research
study in the upcoming 2010 election.

D. Scope and Delimitation

This research covers only a small portion of the countrys voting population to get an idea of the
preferred voting system of the people.
The research does not cover all age group of Comembo but is limited only to those who are of
voting age and are registered to vote within the area of the said barangay.
Although there is a delimiting factor in the age bracket of respondents, the survey is open to all
genders and or sexual affiliations and orientations.
Due to constraint in the deadline of this study the information gathered therein is limited to only a
sampling of participants/respondents to the survey and the utilization of a researcher-constructed
questionnaire will be used instead of a standard assessment in surveying the respondents of Comembo.

E. Definition of Terms
The following terms and acronyms were used by the proponent to clearly and effectively describe
the ideas in the study and are hereby defined:
Respondents Barangay Comembo voters
Fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual.
Cons One who holds an opposing opinion or view.
Pros One who supports a proposal or takes the affirmative side in a debate.
Aggregation the collecting of individual units (as damages) into a whole
Scenario A possible set of future events.
Proponent a person who makes a proposal or proposition.

Modernization To make modern in appearance, style, or character; update.

Automated automatic and/or computerized operation.
Significant Having or expressing a meaning.
Hacking to devise or modify (a computer program), usually skillfully in an unauthorized manner, by
changing the code itself.
Virus a segment of self-replicating code planted illegally in a computer
program, often to damage or shut down a system or network.
SAES Smartmatic Auditable Election System
COMELEC Commission On Election
PCOS Precinct Count Optical Scan
OMR Optical Mark Reader
BEI Board of Election Inspector
ER Election Return
IPEOTEAM2010 International Philippine Election Observation Team 2010
DRE Direct Recording Electronic style of voting that uses touch screen technology in voting