Election body to use stronger indelible ink to stop flying voters

By Kristine L. Alave
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 04:02:00
03/17/2010





Filed Under: Eleksyon 2010, Elections


Original Story: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20100317-259148/Election-body-to-use-stronger-indelible-ink-to-stop-flying-voters


MANILA, Philippines—The chemical composition of the indelible ink is being strengthened to clip the wings of flying voters in the upcoming elections, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Tuesday.

Voters are being asked to dip their forefinger in the indelible ink well to show that they had voted, according to Comelec procedures.

Commissioner Rene Sarmiento said that the poll body was increasing the silver nitrate concentration in the indigo ink that produces the stain on the finger to make it more difficult to remove and thus prevent multiple voting.

In the bidding for the supply of the ink, he said the Comelec was requiring a silver nitrate concentration of 20 percent, up from the previous 5 percent. He noted that in India, the compound was up to 25 percent.

Stays for 2-3 days

Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said a low silver nitrate solution would be a boon to unscrupulous voters who erase ink on their fingers using acetone once they leave the precincts.

With the stronger ink, Jimenez said, the mark should stay for two to three days.

The Comelec also announced that it would begin shipping out the electronic voting machines, called precinct count optical scan (PCOS), starting Wednesday.

Two machines will go to Kalayan Islands off Palawan, according to Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal.

The machines will stay in a warehouse until the other poll materials have arrived, Larrazabal said.

The Comelec has yet to award the delivery of ballots and ballot boxes to freight forwarders.

Some 82,000 PCOS machines from Smartmatic-TIM have been leased for the country’s first nationwide automated elections. About 76,000 will be used for the elections, while the rest will be deployed as spare machines.


Original Story: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20100317-259148/Election-body-to-use-stronger-indelible-ink-to-stop-flying-voters