TABUK CITY, Kalinga (PIA) — The Commission on Elections (Comelec)-Tabuk City held a demonstration for the automated counting machine (ACM) to be used in the 2025 midterm elections to voters in Tabuk City during the ACM nationwide simultaneous roadshow on Monday, December 2.
Comelec-Tabuk City election officer Atty. Reyman Solbita said the new equipment has a faster and improved features compared to the Smartmatic’s Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) and vote-counting machines (VCMs) machines, which were used in the five previous national elections.
“Ang [isang key] feature ng ACM, mas malawak ang screen at parang may two elections na gagawin yan. Yung OMR or Optical Mark Recognition, yung nag-shashade tayo ng ballot at binabasa yung naka-shade na ballot, but the machine converted it to DRE or Direct Recording Electronics, yung gaya ng halalan sa US na pinipindot mo lang yung screen, so the machine is also touchscreen,” Solbita said.
During the demonstration, the new machine showcased a faster scanning speed. It also has a larger, adjustable touchscreen, allowing voters to view the image of their ballot and a summary of how their votes were counted. It also features a flexible ballot that reduces the likelihood of being rejected.
“Napaspas ken uray haan mo nga i-shade nga ustu, mabasa na. However, adda dagiti haan na nabasa nga tuldok lang, so to be sure ket kompletu-en ladta. Ken uray ma-crample, mabasa na ladta. Ken mayat diyay machine ta makitam idiyay screen ti itsura diyay ballot,” Atty. Waylan Basungit, a roadshow participant said.
[It’s fast and even if you do not fully shade it, it can still be read. However, there are still some dots that it can not read, so to be sure to complete. And even if it is crumpled, it can still read it. The machine is good because you can see in the screen how the ballot looks like.]
Solbita also said the machine has a battery that lasts up to 14 hours and a headset available for blind voters, enabling them to hear confirmation of their shaded choices.
He assured that ballots are secured by providing security cards to electoral boards, making them the only ones authorized to operate the machines.
The election officer also informed the public of the changes in the voting hours as only one ACM which can accommodate 1,000 voters is provided in one cluster precinct.
“May changes tayo sa voting hours, from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m., na unlike ng past elections na nag-uumpisa sa 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Yung na-reconfigure natin na machine accommodates 1,000 voters. Nung nakalipas, 800 lang, kaya pinahaba ang voting hours dahil 1,000 na ngayon ang pwedeng bomoto sa isang cluster precinct na may isang automated counting machine,” Solbita said.
[There are changes in the voting hours, from 5:00AM to 7:00PM, unlike the past elections that starts from 6AM to 5PM. The configured machine accommodates 1,000 voters. In the past, it could only accommodate 800. The voting hours are extended because 1,000 can vote in one clustered precinct with one automated counting machine. ]
He added that the first two hours, from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m., are dedicated to persons with disabilities, senior citizens, and pregnant voters, as well as their assistors, if any. He clarified that voters from the vulnerable sector who miss the allotted time can still cast their votes during regular voting hours.
The 2025 national and local elections is on May 12, 2025. (JDP/RGA-PIA CAR, Kalinga)
