JASIN, Nov 13 – The Election Commission (EC) has assured voters that its new Optical Character Recognition-Voters Attendance (OCR-VA) system will not affect voting secrecy or increase the time needed to cast ballots.
EC deputy chairman Dr Azmi Sharom said the system aims to modernise Malaysia’s voting process. He also encouraged the public and election stakeholders to support its implementation.
According to Azmi, early observations show that the system is simple, accurate and easy for election workers to operate.
He explained that election workers may need some time to become familiar with the technology. However, they have not reported major difficulties using it.
Azmi gave the assurance after inspecting the ballot box contents verification process for the Merlimau state constituency at Politeknik Merlimau on Friday.
Real-Time Voter Attendance Updates
The EC continues to use the OCR-VA system because it can collect and display voter attendance information in real time.
Previously, the commission updated voter attendance figures once every hour. The new system allows the public to access more immediate updates through the EC website.
This improvement can help voters and election officials monitor turnout more efficiently.
However, Azmi stressed that the system does not compromise the secrecy of individual votes.
Voters Urged to Check Polling Details
Meanwhile, Azmi advised voters to check their assigned polling centres and voting streams before leaving home.
They can use the MySPR Semak platform to confirm their voting details. This step can help prevent voters from travelling to the wrong polling location.
For those without internet access, the EC has provided checking counters outside polling centres.
Voters are encouraged to arrive earlier and verify their details before proceeding to cast their ballots.
The 16th Melaka State Election takes place on Saturday, Nov 14. The EC’s latest digital measures aim to make the voting process more efficient while protecting the confidentiality of every ballot.
Source : BERNAMA | Rewritten By Minutesmy
