Comelec deploys 150 ACMs for roadshows

By Connie Calipay

LEGAZPI CITY --- At least 150 automated counting machines (ACMs) were deployed to various towns and cities in the six provinces of the Bicol region for roadshows and demonstration activities that will be conducted by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Comelec-5 Regional Director Maria Juana Valeza on Monday said the roadshows would be conducted for two months in the 3,471 barangays in the region.

"It starts this December until January next year. Our target audience is all the barangays here in Bicol, big schools, including local government units, and government offices to provide the needed information of the public about the machine," Valeza said.

She said the new machine's features include a bigger screen, which the public may use to view their candidates.

"Aside from the physical ballot, there is a ballot image and a receipt, all of which can be verified by voters, if the same entry. We just asked the public to follow the instructions to avoid glitches during the election. The machine also has a feature that visually impaired individuals can use," she said.

Valeza said they are now conducting an inventory of their communication facilities to identify the areas that need internet connectivity.

"We will be putting Starlink and other global positioning systems (GPS) to those areas, polling precincts that need connectivity, particularly in geographically isolated and displaced areas," she said.

Valeza said for Bicol, they are expecting more than 5,000 ACMs during the midterm elections on May 12, 2025.

"All voting and polling centers will be given one each of ACMs. We will be training around 30,000 persons as electoral boards after the roadshow so it will be from Feb(ruary) to April," she said.

The ACM is a standalone machine with a 14-inch adjustable touchscreen and a privacy screen. It has a faster scanning speed, an automatic receipt-cutting feature, a built-in receipt compartment, accessibility options, and the capability to transmit results immediately after the voting process.

Media practitioners from Albay were given the opportunity to try casting their votes and test the accuracy of the machine. (PNA)

MOCK ELECTION. A media practitioner from Albay province participates in a demonstration of the automated counting machine (ACM) during the nationwide kick-off of the Commission on Elections' roadshows at the Bicol University in Legazpi City on Monday (Dec. 2, 2024). A total of 150 ACMs will be utilized for the activities, which will continue until January next year. (PNA photo by Connie Calipay)