By Cyrus A. Natividad

Atty. Ausan gave insights on the automated elections and PCOS machines.

Commission on Elections Director for Region 6 Dennis L. Ausan on Monday, November 25, 2019, conducted the first academic lecture on the “Nuances of Automated Elections” at Central Philippine University.

Atty.  Ausan finished his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at Central Philippine University and his Bachelor of Laws at the University of San Agustin, Iloilo City. He held other positions previously as Regional Election Attorney, and Acting Provincial Election Supervisor. He had special assignments as Philippine Representative to the 2018 Russian Federation Presidential Election on March 2018 in Moscow, Russia, and Acting Regional Election Director- COMELEC for Regions 7, 8 and 10 among others.

The lecture was held at the College of Engineering Building Audio-Visual Room. It was attended by students from different colleges taking up Constitution and Political Science subjects. In view of electoral reforms, the participants were given the opportunity to ask questions on issues related to automated systems, postponements, and electoral protests.

 

Ausan practically explained what the students wanted to know about the automated elections during the two-hour lecture and interaction. The CPU Political Science Alumni Association President and Vice President Eric Otayde and Cyrus Natividad, respectively were with him as moderators.

Ausan gave insights on the automated elections using PCOS (Precinct Count Optical Scan) machines, and how the ballot results are analyzed. He said that “the automated results speak about the willingness of voters to choose their candidates.”

The student participants also asked questions about real issues and situations in local government units. One of the promising student leaders approached Ausan after his lecture to report about a vote-buying incident in their barangay.

Academic lectures on other topics and subjects will be conducted soon. The lecture was sponsored by the Review and Continuing Education and Consultancy Center, Political Science Alumni Association and the CPU Office of Communications.