IVR-based Information for the 2013 National Assembly Election Available

18 March 2013 - Under the technical support from Open Institute and IFES with financial support from USAID, NEC launched the first voice-based information service for upcoming election for the National Assembly 2013, on Friday 15th March 2013 at Imperial Garden Villa and Hotel.
 
The SPICE program has been working closely with the National Election Committee to develop the service for Cambodian citizens. The principle aim of the SPICE's support to NEC is to improve information dissemination and voter education for all Cambodian citizens to access the information on demand. To this end, Open Institue has signed Memorandum of Understanding with NEC and IFES to develop this system for NEC on the same day of the launching of the informaiton service. Under this framework, the SPICE program will support NEC on three keys aspects: providing platform for hosting information, structuring and hosting content, and securing communication of NEC's Call Center.
 
The service lanuched on the day was the information service based on Interactive Voice Response system (IVR), which allow Cambodia people to access a information through mobile phone anywhere and anytime. Like a radio, the service provides to Cambodian citizens who use all type mobile phone from any operator to access pre-recorded information on the upcoming National Assembly election by just dialing 1285 from their mobile phone. Calling to this number and listening to it are free until July after the election finished.
 
Information in the service includes where and when to vote, requirement for voting and checking voter registration, documents required for vote, and how to vote. In June, the system will allow Cambodian citizens to be able to talk to NEC's operators who wait for answering various questions regarding to the voter registration. More over they could receive updated news related to general election which will be provided by IFES.