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Comelec Chair George Erwin Garcia (2nd from left) leads the field testing of an automated counting machine (ACM) to be used in the 2025 elections on Saturday, November 16. —Photo by Comelec/Facebook
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Saturday began field testing activities in different locations in the country as preparation for the 2025 elections.
According to Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia, the field testing activities conducted in Taguig City, in the Comelec main office, and abroad as preparation for the mock elections were successful.
“What we want to show, the machines, the feeding of ballots into the machines, vote counting, printing of election returns, and if the use of smart card, starlink, and DITO [sim cards] are effective,” Garcia said in an ambush interview.
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Garcia said that the activities done will also be expected in the canvassing of votes next year.
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“Everything that will happen in this particular election, the transmission logs, audit logs, number of machines, and every kind of logs will be published on the website of Comelec one week after the elections so everyone can countercheck, Garcia added.
Garcia also shared that the feeding of ballots into the automated counting machine (ACM) will only take three seconds as the machine carries a speed of 200 millimeters per second.
“Now, the machine will transmit to many entities for the first time. The machine will print election returns that have a QR code that can be captured,” Garcia stated.
He also reiterated that the five entities such as the poll watchdogs Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting and National Movement for Free Elections, majority and minor parties, and the media will have their own servers.
The machine features a 14-inch touch screen and a privacy screen where bystanders will not know who the voters voted for upon reviewing.
The poll body chief also said that Comelec will conduct a voter information drive from December 2, 2024 to January 30, 2024 where they will provide one ACM to every municipality in the country.
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Comelec has already received more than 90 percent of ACMs from South Korea as part of the commitment of Miru Systems, the tapped automated election systems provider for the 2025 elections.