Mall demo educates voters

A Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machine set up for demonstration in SM Cebu City has attracted at least 150 persons since it was set up on April 5.

The PCOS machine displayed in the lower ground floor of the mall is open for anyone who wants to learn how automated voting is done.

“The objective of the demo is to educate the voters especially our first time voters on how to shade properly and how to feed their ballot into the PCOS machine,” said April Mae Gamboa, member of the Comelec PCOS demonstration team.

Gamboa said that most of those who showed enthusiasm in trying the machine were senior citizens and members of media.

“Ang mga batan-on, labi na ang mga first time voters, kelangan pa sila i-push ila parents to try the machine,”Gamboa said. (The young, especially the first time voters still needs to be encouraged and pushed by their parents to try the machine.)

Overshading and undershading are the most common mistake of the people who tried the automated voting demo, said Gamboa.

Lanie Vismanos of barangay Camputhaw, Cebu City, a voter for 20 years, said that the machines are easier and faster.

However, she said that she still prefers the manual voting system.

“With this, we will not know how our votes are appreciated by the machines. Before, we see with our own eyes the results because the ballots are counted manually,” the 40-year-old Visamanos said in Cebuano.

The voting demo in SM Cebu runs from April 5 to April 30, 2013. /Joy Cherry Quito, Correspondent with Correspondent Christine Emily Layos Pantaleon