Comelec approves Web voting ‘in principle’--Spokesperson

By Erwin Oliva
INQUIRER.net
Posted date: January 16, 2007

THE COMMISSION on Elections (Comelec) has approved “in principle” the country's first Internet voting system, a spokesperson told INQUIRER.net Tuesday.

“It has been approved in principle,” said Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez, stressing the Comelec is currently hammering out the details of the guidelines as of this writing.

The initial “area of implementation” of the Internet voting system will be Singapore, the spokesperson added.

He said Comelec will likely tap the services of Spanish technology supplier Scytl, in partnership with computer vendor HP.

The Spanish company conducted a demonstration of its Internet-based voting system last year in the presence of lawmakers and their representatives, several overseas Filipino organizations, and the technical working committee of the poll body.

The company showed a secure and simple Internet-based voting system that will allow migrant Filipino workers to cast their votes using computers connected to the Internet.

Comelec Commissioner Florentino Tuason who is in charge of this project was not available for comment.

Tuason is commissioner in charge of the overseas absentee voting or OAV.

In earlier interviews with INQUIRER.net, Tuason said Comelec expects to spend at least 30 million pesos for this project.

Comelec previously said it intends to implement Internet voting in Italy, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Scytl is a 12-year-old company that provides electronic voting systems. So far, the Internet-based system was used in countries like Finland, Switzerland, Spain, and soon in Australia and the United Kingdom, said Scytl vice president for sales and marketing Pablo Sarrias during a briefing.

Since it is web-based, governments need not purchase any equipment and software. They only need to subscribe to a license to use the e-voting service.

The Internet voting system uses 2,040 bits of encryption to secure data, while digital certificates are used to secure votes and authenticate voters. People can vote from a PC connected to an Internet, or from PC terminal set up within a Philippine embassy abroad.

There are about 500,000 registered overseas Filipino voters.