While grim rumors of a “no-election" scenario on May 10 abound, the
University of the Philippines is holding its own fully automated mock
national elections – a first in the university’s history, yet has
attracted too few voters so far.
“Botong Isko 2010: An Online Mock Polls for Clean, Transparent, and
Honest Elections," which has been ongoing since March 18, was set up by
the UP Linux Users’ Group (UnPLUG), the same organization behind last
month’s computerized University Student Council Elections.
According to the Botong Isko 2010 Web site, the project “aims to unite students and
the whole UP community for a clean, transparent, and honest elections,
and to find out which candidates are favored by the Iskolar ng Bayan in
the upcoming elections."
Under the computerized system, UP students from all campuses can vote
even when they are outside of the campus as long as they have Internet
access.
JP Bernardo, UnPLUG communications officer, said setting up the Botong
Isko 2010 only took one and a half days although they have been planning
for it since last year. He said the software used in the mock elections
has been tried and tested in previous campus elections even by other
universities and colleges.
“Sanay na lang kasi kami talagang gumawa ng mga ganun (We’re used to
doing things like that)," he told GMANews.TV. He added that they had
been trained in past projects like the USC elections as well as the
Alternative Classroom Learning Experience Computerized Registration
System.
Low voter turnout
The problem, however, seems to lie in encouraging UP students to
participate, as Bernardo acknowledged that so far the overall turnout –
only 6.30 percent or 2,430 voters as of 4 p.m. Tuesday – is not very
high.
So far, UP Diliman tops the UP campuses with the most number of student
participation (8.01 percent, followed by UP Manila (5.94 percent), UP
Cebu (5.29 percent), UP Iloilo (5.16 percent), UP Miag-ao (4.03
percent), UP Mindanao (3.44 percent), UP Tacloban (2.81 percent) and UP
Baguio (1.75 percent).
User-friendly interface
The Botong Isko 2010 homepage has links to several useful pages,
including a manual on voting, schedule of activities, and an online
petition for clean and honest elections. There is also a shout box where
visitors can interact with each other.
Unlike in the actual nationwide elections, there will be no time limit
for voters to cast their votes in the Botong Isko 2010 system. Voters
are also asked to confirm their choices prior to voting. They can also
print their ballots as proof of their votes.
A disclaimer on the login page, however, informs the voters of a “weak"
password that can “compromise" the mock elections. In the system,
students can log in using their name as username and student number as
passwords.
“The password may seem to be weak and the mock elections might be
compromised due to this. However, let us be reminded that our aim is to
have a clean, transparent, and honest elections. We may as well start
our advocacy here. Let us take the first steps towards attaining our
goal," the reminder read.
Bernardo admitted that anyone who has access to a student’s student
number can vote even without the owner’s authorization.
He, however, said that apart from login problems – which he said could
be caused by mistakes in typing the password, browser troubles, and
students missing from the database sent by their campus – they have yet
to receive major complaints about the system.
The results of Botong Isko 2010 will be announced at 12 noon on Thursday
at the lobby of Vinzons Hall.
David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
Creative Writer
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