ILOILO City – To familiarize registered voters here with a new voting technology for the May 2025 midterm elections, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) will kick off its Automated Counting Machine (ACM) Roadshow on December 2.
The Iloilo City Comelec has selected Iloilo City National High School in Molo district as the initial venue, allowing neighboring barangays to participate in a “mock election” using new vote counting machines.
According to Atty. Pinky Tentativa, Iloilo City Election Officer IV, the roadshow was initially scheduled for November 27 but was moved following a directive from Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia to synchronize the activity nationwide on December 2.
To streamline the process, Tentativa said the city’s 180 barangays will be clustered to expedite participation.
The City Comelec has already received the ACMs to be used, and completed training its personnel to facilitate the barangay-level roadshows.
The roadshow will also feature voter education activities, ensuring that registered voters understand how the ACM functions.
Comelec Region 6 director Atty. Dennis Ausan revealed that 102 ACMs are expected to arrive in Western Visayas, with each local government unit receiving a machine for the roadshow.
One additional unit will remain with the regional office for its own demonstrations.
Ausan emphasized the importance of introducing the ACMs to voters due to the numerous enhancements incorporated into the machines compared to those used in previous elections.
“We have so many enhancements in these machines. Although the process of shading ballots and feeding them into the machine remains, these improvements address transparency issues raised by stakeholders. Over the next two months, we will ensure stakeholders experience these enhancements firsthand,” said Ausan.
Among the key upgrades is an expanded screen that displays a digital image of the ballot after it is fed into the machine. For instance, if a voter selects fewer candidates than allowed — 10 senators instead of 12 — the machine provides a chance to return the ballot. However, voters cannot alter their choices once submitted.
Another enhancement is a receipt generated by the ACM, which can be verified using a QR code. This feature allows poll watchers to confirm that the votes on the receipt match those cast by the voter.
“These improvements reflect the commission’s commitment to addressing transparency issues raised by stakeholders,” Ausan said./PN
