Comelec awards software deal to Smartmatic

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has awarded the contract for the procurement of software for the systems to be used in the May 9, 2022 polls worth P400 million to the joint venture of SMMT-TIM 2016 Inc. and Smartmatic USA Corp.

“On behalf of the Commission en banc, the undersigned hereby awards to Joint Venture of SMMT-TIM 2016, Inc. and Smartmatic USA Corp., the contract for the Procurement of Automated Election System (AES) Software for the Election Management System (EMS), Vote Counting Machines (VCMs) and Consolidation and Canvassing System (CCS) to be used in the 2022 National and Local Elections,” Comelec chairman Sheriff Abas said in the notice of award released on Tuesday.

The EMS compiles the number and profile of registered voters, their geographic locations, polling precinct information, among others.

These pieces of information are necessary for the design of official ballots for the polls.

The CCS conducts the automated tallying and monitoring of data received from polling precincts and lower levels of the board of canvassers. 

Meanwhile, Comelec has resumed the conduct of satellite voter registration in areas under general community quarantine (GCQ) or modified GCQ (MGCQ).

In a statement on Tuesday, Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said a new voter registration schedule was also implemented in these areas starting Monday.

Application for registration will now be accepted from Mondays to Fridays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Office of the Election Officer (OEO), or in satellite registration sites on Saturdays.

“Satellite registration may also be conducted once during weekdays, and no registration will be held at the local Comelec office on Saturdays. However, offsite registration may be conducted when the office is closed on the LGU (local government unit)-prescribed disinfection day,” he said.

Jimenez also advised the public to coordinate with their local Comelec offices for further announcements.

Disinfection activities will be conducted at the end of each working day. However, the OEOs still must comply with the disinfection day prescribed by the local government.

According to the poll body’s Resolutions No. 10549 and 10674, any interested party may request an offsite registration in their area by writing a letter to the Election Officer, subject to the following guidelines:

There must be at least 200 prospective applicants;

Barangay halls/centers, public and private schools, and universities, malls and commercial establishments, or other public and convenient spaces may be used as satellite registration sites;

The site must not be owned, leased, or occupied as residence by any incumbent local elective official or any person who is related to any local elective official within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity, or leader of any political party, or be under the actual control of a political party or religious organization.

Meanwhile, voter registration activities remain suspended in areas under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).

The National Capital Region and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Ifugao, and Zamboanga City are under MECQ until May 14.

Santiago City in Isabela and the provinces of Quirino and Abra are under MECQ until the end of May.

On Monday, Cagayan, Apayao, and Benguet provinces were placed under MECQ until May 23.

Baguio City, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Batangas, Quezon, Iligan City, Davao City, Lanao del Sur, and Puerto Princesa City are under GCQ until May 31.

The rest of the country is under MGCQ.