Comelec to conduct second internet voting test run from Sept. 18 to 20

The second overseas internet voting test run will be held from Sept. 18 to 20.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will hold the test run this time involving the system of Smartmatic.

In an online press briefing on Wednesday, Sept. 15, Comelec Office for Overseas Voting (OFOV) Director Sonia Bea Wee-Lozada said the test run will start at 8 a.m. (Manila time) on Sept.18 to 8 a.m. (Manila time) on Sept 20.

She said those who participated in the first test run with Voatz last Sept. 11 to 13, will be the same partcipants in the test run.

Meanwhile, an official of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) said they support the introduction of the internet voting system in the Philippine elections.

PPCRV IT Director William Emmanuel Yu suggested that the system will be gradually rolled out, beginning with overseas voting.

"We would want a more gradual rollout and adoption of internet voting instead of doing it for a large base right away," he said.
Yu said other potential sectors that may eventually use internet voting are local absentee voting with 1.9 million potential voters, persons with disabilities (PWDs) with 300,000, and senior citizens with 9 million.

The PPCRV official, however, cited some challenges with internet voting, particularly on transparency and accessibility.

"Citizens may have challenges accepting results of a new technology that has not been widely adopted yet," said Yu.

He added that some areas might have connectivity or device access issues.