The document discusses plans for automating the Philippines' 2010 national elections, including using Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines to automatically count paper ballots. Some key points addressed are: - There will be 80,136 PCOS machines clustered in precincts of up to 1,000 voters each, replacing manual counting. - Concerns about the automated system include the potential for machine failure or rigged results, and voters' ability to use the system properly. - Test runs were conducted to get feedback, with average voting times of 5-7 minutes depending on age and occupation. Recommendations focused on better educating and assisting voters, especially seniors.

1. VOTER MEETS THE BALLOT Automation and Change Management for the May 2010 National Elections

2. MANUAL ELECTIONS AUTOMATED ELECTIONS One Clustered Precinct, One PCOS Voters shade the circle of candidates’ names on the ballot Automated Counting Automated Canvassing One Precinct, One Ballot Box Voters write candidates’ names on the ballot Manual Counting Manual Canvassing

3. 320,415 Established Precincts 80,136 Clustered Precincts Established Precincts have up to 200 voters There are 320,415 ballot boxes Clustered Precincts will have up to 1000 voters There will be 80,136 PCOS machines (2,064 PCOS machines will serve as back-up)

4. ADJUSTMENT Voting period will be increased from 8 hours (7am to 3pm) to 11 hours (7am to 6pm)

5. CONCERN 11 hours may not be enough for 1,000 people to finish voting

6. WRITING SHADING There will still be a paper ballot

7. ADJUSTMENT Voters can’t change their votes

8. CONCERNS Because the new ballot will present all options, some voters may be prone to over voting Old voters may not be able to understand how to use the ballot

9. AUTOMATED COUNTING MANUAL COUNTING BEIs count the votes by reading them one by one and tallying them on election returns The Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) will automatically scan the ballot, count the votes upon submission of voter

10. ADJUSTMENT Voters will directly engage the PCOS and must know how to submit the ballot

11. CONCERNS The PCOS may be rigged; it may contain programmed results even before election begins Machine failure

12. AUTOMATED CANVASSING MANUAL CANVASSING BEIs sum up the tallied votes before giving to Congress The PCOS will automatically transmit the tallied results per machine to COMELEC

13. ADJUSTMENT BEIs will not count the votes; Voters will not see a public counting

14. CONCERNS The PCOS may be rigged; it may contain programmed results even before election begins Machine failure

15. SECURITY MEASURES PCOS machines require a password, PIN, authorized digital signature and is equipped with a 128-bit encryption

16. CONTINUITY MEASURES There are available back-up PCOS machines Paper ballots can still be counted

17. Tanauan, Batangas

18. San Isidro, Nueva Ecija

19. 6 to 8 Minutes Average Voting Time By Age: Participants aged 17–21 had the fastest average time at 5 minutes and 26 seconds, while those aged 60–83 had the slowest average time at 7 minutes and 18 seconds By Occupation: Students and teachers had the fastest average time at 5 minutes and 15 seconds, while the retired/elderly participants had the slowest average time at 7 minutes and 49 seconds

20. GENERAL COMMENTS New method of filling up the ballot (shading) is preferable but some found the ballot too long Many participants were surprised with the number of possible candidate-options Some participants found it confusing to have the list of choices per category broken across two or more columns and/or on two different pages

21. RECOMMENDATIONS Polling areas should have a holding room where voters can be oriented/reviewed on how to fill up the ballot through clear audio-visual presentations or trained volunteers

22. RECOMMENDATIONS Instructions in the ballot should be in Filipino or in the predominant local dialect

23. RECOMMENDATIONS Where possible, candidate-options for each position should be kept in the same column and/or ballot page

24. RECOMMENDATIONS Visual tools, such as color-coding, should be used in the final design of the ballot to distinguish the list of candidate-options for one position from candidate-options for another position

25. RECOMMENDATIONS Voter education should familiarize voters with the ballot

26. RECOMMENDATIONS There should be ballot orientation activities customized for senior citizens and for voters with special needs (literacy, persons with disabilities, etc..)

27. RECOMMENDATIONS Large replicas of the ballot and a voting process flowchart in both English and local dialects should be made available in public places

28. RECOMMENDATIONS At least 24 voting stations should be set up in each clustered precinct

29. VOTER MEETS THE BALLOT Automation and Change Management for the May 2010 National Elections