'Vote selling' a lousy alibi to withhold ballot receipt

GOTCHA

- JARIUS BONDOC

Lib talk won't allay fears of rigging in Comelec's first-ever overseas online voting. Only sincerity will.

Online voters in 77 foreign posts echoed one suspicion. Upon submitting their ballots by mobile, tablet or computer, they were given a QR code. The landing page then displayed some of the names they selected and most of those they didn't.

They felt ripped off. Comelec's infomercials never mentioned that odd feature.

In usual fast-talk, Comelec Chairman George Garcia claimed that's to prevent vote buying and selling. They purposely didn't issue voter receipts so politicos and electors can't transact business. It's unlike in-country voting where machines spit out a voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT).

That's a shallow excuse. A determined vote-seller can always screenshot his filled-up ballot before casting. Or video himself submitting it, as proof to the politico-buyer.

In fact, a complainer in Singapore posted on Facebook such ballot screenshot. He ranted that the QR code differed from it.

Garcia babbled about a supposed security feature known only to Comelec. Selected candidates are represented alphanumerically, then mixed with the unselected ones.