SmartMatic Expects To Transmit All Election Results On May 10

The automated election system (AES) provider of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in the May 9 national and local polls is expecting to transmit all election results on May 10, the day after Election Day.

Smartmatic International Project Manager Marlon Garcia said they are looking to transmit the results from the 92,509 clustered precincts in 24 hours after the close of the polling places.

“This is not a commitment but my take is that it is going to be around 80 percent transmission just on May 9. By noon of May 10, we should already be almost done,” he said in an interview.

Garcia added that sending results could even be faster if not only for the challenge in the geography of the country.

“We know that because of the difficulty in the geography in the Philippines and the availability of the signals in some of the areas, we may not be able to make it on May 9. The platform actually is to receive everything in the canvassing in one hour. But we know, based on our experience here, is it is going to take a while,” he said.

With this, Garcia noted the successful outcome of the Transmission and Readiness Test (TRT) that the poll body conducted last Saturday in Taguig City; Pateros; Quezon City (1st District); Manila (5th District); Digos City and Bansalan in Davao del Sur; Iriga City and Buhi in Camarines Sur; and Alburquerque and Cortes in Bohol.

“We have proven that the platform we are going to use on Election Day is ready. We are ready to go on May 9… Definitely on May 9, at the end of the day, we are expecting a high transmission percentage,” Garcia added.

He said they were able to get 100 percent transmission on Saturday evening after using cellular or satellite networks.

“It is a small simulation of what the Election Day is going to be like. But we were able to test absolutely everything that we are going to be using on Election Day,” the Smartmatic International official said.

At the same time, Garcia reported that they will deploy some 45,000 technicians in all of the 36,788 voting centers as well as in the canvassing centers.

“Everywhere where there will be something related on May 9 polls, Smartmatic will be there,” he added.

Smartmatic personnel will also be manning the National Support Center.

In the 2013 polls, the Comelec and Smartmatic were able to attain a 76-percent transmission rate. (PNA) SCS/FGP/RSM