PCS vice president Antonio Tinsay said the only hope for an automated election is the immediate passage of Senate Bill No. 2231, an election automation bill, which contains the amendments suggested by the PCS.

The PCS is the sole authority mandated by law to assist the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in pursuing the country's election automation program.

Tinsay said there are only a few weeks left for a chance to have automated polls in the Philippines, as the winning bidder for the poll automated system needs a year to prepare. And, with only eight months to go, he said the time limit has become 'too stiff' already.

"There's a window of time, but it is about to close," Tinsay said in an interview with Computerworld Philippines. "We (PCS) are hoping that by early September the Senate would be able to pass the bill."

To avoid losing valuable time, the Comelec has asked PCS to convene, plan, and determine if there's still enough time for automating the May 2007 elections, he noted.