The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has launched two new website aimed at priming voters on the automated voting process in time for the 2010 polls.

Dubbed “I.B.A. na Ngayon!” and “Bagong Botante”, the websites are part of the COMELEC’s present voter education campaign and may be accessed at ibanangayon.ph and www.bagongbotante.ph respectively.

 “Voter education is critical for the success of the automated elections,” said COMELEC spokesperson James Jimenez when asked about the websites. “Advanced technology means nothing if people don’t know how to use it. The machines are merely there to count. It is the Filipino people who will still cast votes and so they must learn how the new system works.”

“I.B.A. na Ngayon” will be the COMELEC’s primary repository of information on the automated polls. The site contains a comprehensive assortment of educational materials for voters including videos, detailed walkthroughs of the voting process, slideshows, a blog and an FAQ. Helpful sections include guides on the proper use of the modern ballot as well as literature on the PCOS counting machines.

“Bagong Botante” meanwhile is an online community particularly useful for new voters. Visitors to the website are invited to connect with each other using popular social networking sites such as Facebook, Plurk and Twitter, and to share information about automated elections. The site came in particularly handy during the recently completed registration period, with voter registration forms available for download, as well as manuals in Tagalog and English on the automated polls and contact information for the COMELEC’s education desk.

As a Bagong Botante, registered voters are encouraged to learn about how automated elections works, teach others about the automated election system and encourage others to keep spreading information about automated elections.

The voter education campaign was designed to take full advantage of online media. “Bagong Botante” directly engages website visitors in the education campaign, inviting social network users to post links to the website and other online campaign materials on their profiles.

Demographic studies have revealed that a large chunk of the electorate use the Internet, with 28% of the country’s urban population having ready Internet access according to a recent study by AC Nielsen. Meanwhile, 48% of the 40 million Friendster users are registered voters.

The COMELEC is hoping to shore up support for automated polls with the voter education campaign.