For faster voting or faster cheating?
FOR CLEAN POLLS OR DIRTY POLITICS?
Cheating has been into the election scene even before. It could not be denied that many politicians in the country practice such at the national and local levels. On the May 2010 national elections, will the automation change the cheating activity?
Poll officials in the country have been claiming that the change from manually done election poll to automation will eliminate the usual dirty tricks engraved in cheating since there will be less human intervention in the counting, canvassing and transmission of results.
On the other hand, elections alongside politics in the Philippines have historically been dominated by traditional political elite, whose brand of politics is characterized by patronage. The competition between different groups of elites has marginalized the citizenry, especially the electorate, from the electoral exercises and, consequently, from the arena of political participation and governance.
Violence and fraud are also part of the Philippine elections that seem to be natural elements of a particular political exercise. But these are also the main factors in the marginalization of the people.
The Cheating Mechanism
Electoral fraud is an illegal intervention with the process of election like counting, canvassing and transmission of results by increasing the vote share of the favored candidate while depressing the vote share of the rival candidates. Also called voter fraud, the mechanisms involved include illegal voter registration, intimidation at polls, and improper vote counting.
In the national level, thriving electoral fraud can have the effect of corruption of democracy to amount a change in the result with only a single vote. Trickery in the election, if not done, has still a damaging result that reduces the electorate’s trust in democracy. With the scheme, many people are inclined to accept its effect.
Electoral fraud is not limited to political polls alone. It could happen when the potential gain of a swindler is at risk. May it be small time or big time. Although the practice is present almost every time, it remains a difficult fact to study about, that follows its inherent illegality.
Fraud Techniques
There are a lot of cheating schemes that are practiced throughout election campaigns, in voter registration, and/or during vote-counting. Some of it was already very open to the public. The two main forms are preventing eligible voters from casting their vote freely and altering the results.
There were already even aired television and radio ads from political icons expressing their interest running an office in the government. Some politicians in the power have these infomercials, a transition of political agenda from the finances of the government.
*Electorate Manipulation. Frequent airing of the political advertisements are one of the types of manipulating legitimate voters. It is an operation where people tend to be pre-occupied with a lot of things that will soon affect the decision-making before electoral poll campaigns.
*Vote Intimidation. It involves putting undue pressure on a voter or a group of voters to cast their vote in a particular manner or even not at all vote like absentee voting and remote voting because the electorate does not have the protection and privacy of the polling allocation.
*Vote Buying. Voters are given practically money or rewards for voting or not voting. In the country, this usual practice is done by politicians before and/or during the election. Vote buying may also be done indirectly from one person to another.
The Prevention
Preventing eligible voters from casting their vote freely and altering the results can, ironically, be summarized as secrecy and openness. The secret ballot prevents many kinds of intimidation and vote selling, while transparency at all other levels of the electoral process prevents most interference.
*Transparency. To prevent such cheating, the election process will have to involve completely transparency to all voters, from nomination of candidates to casting and tabulation of votes. One key feature that insures the integrity of the whole electoral process is a strict chain of custody.
*Statistical Indicators. There are various forms of statistics that can indicate difference like the exit polls from the final results. Reliable exit polls could keep the amount of cheating be reduced to avoid controversy. There are also indicators like an unusual high number of invalid ballots whether over-voting or under-voting. However, the honest exit polls and other verification methods are dependent with the voters.
*Prosecution. In countries with strong laws and effective legal systems, charges can be brought against those who have allegedly committed fraud but discouragement with legal prosecution would not be enough. Although penalties for getting caught may be severe, the rewards for succeeding are likely to be worth the risk. The rewards range from benefits in constricting to total control of the country.
Voter Turnout
National Statistical Coordination Board
Cheating in the electoral polls through a lot of schemes in politics could indicate historical voter turnout in the country amounting large percentages. If a political aspirant is to cheat polls through pre-filled ballots, just how big could it obtain?
The official government data shows that the number of voters in major election polls is normally between 70 to 80 percent. However, the figure in the 2004 synchronized polls was noticeable since it posted an 84.1 percent voter turnout.
In the 2004 national election, almost seven million voters did not or failed to vote, out of the 43.5 million registered voters. However, if the voter turnout of 81.30 percent in the 1998 presidential race is applied in the 2004 race, only about 35.3 million voters would have actually voted, or more than eight million who did not vote.
In the past, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) produced 10 percent more ballots in excess of the registered number of voters, but the practice has been trashed due to suspicion that the excess ballots were being used for fraud activity.
For the May 2010 automated polls, the COMELEC will print ballots approximate to the number of registered voters. This means there will be no excess ballots. As of September 2009, the number of registered voters was close to 46 million and still counting.
Whether the May 2010 election poll automation will stop forms of cheating or not, it’s still depend on the behavior of the person casting his/her vote. Cheating will continue as long as these individuals who still accept rewards from politicians are present. Don’t be fooled with temporary fulfillment but think of the future that will amount the permanent consequences from the past.
FOR CLEAN POLLS OR DIRTY POLITICS?
Cheating has been into the election scene even before. It could not be denied that many politicians in the country practice such at the national and local levels. On the May 2010 national elections, will the automation change the cheating activity?
Poll officials in the country have been claiming that the change from manually done election poll to automation will eliminate the usual dirty tricks engraved in cheating since there will be less human intervention in the counting, canvassing and transmission of results.
On the other hand, elections alongside politics in the Philippines have historically been dominated by traditional political elite, whose brand of politics is characterized by patronage. The competition between different groups of elites has marginalized the citizenry, especially the electorate, from the electoral exercises and, consequently, from the arena of political participation and governance.
Violence and fraud are also part of the Philippine elections that seem to be natural elements of a particular political exercise. But these are also the main factors in the marginalization of the people.
The Cheating Mechanism
Electoral fraud is an illegal intervention with the process of election like counting, canvassing and transmission of results by increasing the vote share of the favored candidate while depressing the vote share of the rival candidates. Also called voter fraud, the mechanisms involved include illegal voter registration, intimidation at polls, and improper vote counting.
In the national level, thriving electoral fraud can have the effect of corruption of democracy to amount a change in the result with only a single vote. Trickery in the election, if not done, has still a damaging result that reduces the electorate’s trust in democracy. With the scheme, many people are inclined to accept its effect.
Electoral fraud is not limited to political polls alone. It could happen when the potential gain of a swindler is at risk. May it be small time or big time. Although the practice is present almost every time, it remains a difficult fact to study about, that follows its inherent illegality.
Fraud Techniques
There are a lot of cheating schemes that are practiced throughout election campaigns, in voter registration, and/or during vote-counting. Some of it was already very open to the public. The two main forms are preventing eligible voters from casting their vote freely and altering the results.
There were already even aired television and radio ads from political icons expressing their interest running an office in the government. Some politicians in the power have these infomercials, a transition of political agenda from the finances of the government.
*Electorate Manipulation. Frequent airing of the political advertisements are one of the types of manipulating legitimate voters. It is an operation where people tend to be pre-occupied with a lot of things that will soon affect the decision-making before electoral poll campaigns.
*Vote Intimidation. It involves putting undue pressure on a voter or a group of voters to cast their vote in a particular manner or even not at all vote like absentee voting and remote voting because the electorate does not have the protection and privacy of the polling allocation.
*Vote Buying. Voters are given practically money or rewards for voting or not voting. In the country, this usual practice is done by politicians before and/or during the election. Vote buying may also be done indirectly from one person to another.
The Prevention
Preventing eligible voters from casting their vote freely and altering the results can, ironically, be summarized as secrecy and openness. The secret ballot prevents many kinds of intimidation and vote selling, while transparency at all other levels of the electoral process prevents most interference.
*Transparency. To prevent such cheating, the election process will have to involve completely transparency to all voters, from nomination of candidates to casting and tabulation of votes. One key feature that insures the integrity of the whole electoral process is a strict chain of custody.
*Statistical Indicators. There are various forms of statistics that can indicate difference like the exit polls from the final results. Reliable exit polls could keep the amount of cheating be reduced to avoid controversy. There are also indicators like an unusual high number of invalid ballots whether over-voting or under-voting. However, the honest exit polls and other verification methods are dependent with the voters.
*Prosecution. In countries with strong laws and effective legal systems, charges can be brought against those who have allegedly committed fraud but discouragement with legal prosecution would not be enough. Although penalties for getting caught may be severe, the rewards for succeeding are likely to be worth the risk. The rewards range from benefits in constricting to total control of the country.
Voter Turnout
National Statistical Coordination Board
Cheating in the electoral polls through a lot of schemes in politics could indicate historical voter turnout in the country amounting large percentages. If a political aspirant is to cheat polls through pre-filled ballots, just how big could it obtain?
The official government data shows that the number of voters in major election polls is normally between 70 to 80 percent. However, the figure in the 2004 synchronized polls was noticeable since it posted an 84.1 percent voter turnout.
In the 2004 national election, almost seven million voters did not or failed to vote, out of the 43.5 million registered voters. However, if the voter turnout of 81.30 percent in the 1998 presidential race is applied in the 2004 race, only about 35.3 million voters would have actually voted, or more than eight million who did not vote.
In the past, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) produced 10 percent more ballots in excess of the registered number of voters, but the practice has been trashed due to suspicion that the excess ballots were being used for fraud activity.
For the May 2010 automated polls, the COMELEC will print ballots approximate to the number of registered voters. This means there will be no excess ballots. As of September 2009, the number of registered voters was close to 46 million and still counting.
Whether the May 2010 election poll automation will stop forms of cheating or not, it’s still depend on the behavior of the person casting his/her vote. Cheating will continue as long as these individuals who still accept rewards from politicians are present. Don’t be fooled with temporary fulfillment but think of the future that will amount the permanent consequences from the past.
Take Part, Register, and Vote. Right at A Time!
Reference:WIKIPEDIA
ahw, sori na gd, wah ra nkoh basaha whole article, taas mn gd, katulgon na pd q, hehehe... but, mu vote rman jpun koh jeh! bstah, htagan ko'g summer allownce. MAY bya nah, hahaha...
ReplyDelete@Dora
ReplyDeleteMi ganun? aba mali 'yan...nakapag-exercise na ako for my right to vote but never akong nanghingi o tumanggap ng anumang suhol galing sa mga politiko...yan ang pagkakatandaan mo Doh!!!ahw?
Bitaw...we have to be firm with our stand, if we will not vote people from politics who are cheating so we should not accept any reward...okay?!