By MARK JOSEPH UBALDE
A TOTAL of 465 precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines malfunctioned during the 12-hour voting day today, which barely made a dent on its overall performance, Smartmatic said.
Cesar Flores, Smartmatic president, said the figure is a mere 0.05 percent of the 82,200 PCOS machine that they supplied for the 2010 elections. It had set a threshold of 2.5 percent for malfunctioning PCOS machines.
Of the 465, 308 were completely replaced within the day; 97 were still being fixed as of 5 p.m.; and 65 were reported to Smartmatic to have malfunctioned but were later fixed.
The Commission on Elections said a total of 76, 300 PCOS machines were installed in all precincts, while the rest were on standby for replacement.
Despite the long lines and technical glitches on election day, Flores said he observed people were “excited, happy and curious to vote because of the automation.”
“They found it easier to vote,” Flores said. “They said they don’t have to memorize 35 names.”
Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal assured the poll body will reassess the clustering system that caused the delay in most precincts.
Although it took an average of five minutes to vote, some had to line up for as long as three hours just to enter the polling place.
But Larrazabal said this is part and parcel of the democratic process.
“We line up for a concert for hours. A little patience can do good for our country,” he added.