EC to use faster, more streamlined system

By MALUM NALU
THE Electoral Commission will be using a faster and more-streamlined system of updating results during the general election.
The results transmission system was introduced yesterday to election managers and officials by Information and Communication Technology expert Ben Ngumi during a workshop in Port Moresby.
Ngumi said results would be sent in straight from counting centres, through tablets, to the central repository in Port Moresby.
“We are getting information from the field as soon as the teams are done with polling,” he said.
“The next information we are getting is when they show up at the counting centre, finding out how many people voted, how many used and unused ballots they have.
“That happens before the counting process.
“As soon as the counting process begins, that’s when the tablets kick in.”
Ngumi said as soon as results started coming in, the data would be captured on the tablets and sent directly to the Electoral Commission headquarters.
He said the system was first used in 2012 but had been revamped to capture both images and text data.
Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato welcomed the system.
“What we are basically doing is improving the election results’ transmission,” he said.
“Under the law, we still have to use forms 66a and b (for results).
“Those forms are signed by the returning officer.
“What will happen is that after they sign, the images of Form 66a and b will be transmitted to the headquarters so the information will be disseminated.”