Comelec Tacloban roadshow showcases new poll counting machine features

TACLOBAN CITY (PIA) — In preparation for the May 12 national and local elections, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Tacloban City held a one-day roadshow highlighting the key features of the new Automated Counting Machine (ACM).

Led by Lawyer Ramon Dadulla Jr., the Tacloban City election officer, the event aimed to familiarize the participants with the new functionalities of the ACM.

“What you can see here is part of the program of the Comelec na tinatawag ACM roadshow na nais ni Comelec na ipakilala sa publiko ang bagong features ng bagong makina kasi the Comelec believes na the more na may understanding ang publiko sa makina mas nawawala ang doubt ng tao at mas naniniwala sila sa makabagong teknolohiya,” Dadulla said.

The ACM include a 14-inch adjustable touchscreen for voter convenience, a privacy screen, a standalone design with 14-hour battery life, faster scanning speed, automatic receipt scanning and built-in voter’s receipt compartment, with headphones, among others features.

The attendees participated in a live demonstration to familiarize themselves on the use of the new ACM.

Maria Alith R. Gomez, one of the school heads who attended the orientation, praised the new vote counting machine, describing it as voter-friendly, accurate, and convenient.

“Actually, I like the orientation and new automated machine because based on my experience and observation, the machine actually is voter-friendly as it is easy to feed the ballot. The feature is quite sensitive on the positive side that even a dot will be counted, will be considered,” Gomez added.

The roadshow, held at San Fernando Central School, was participated by some 85 school heads from the Department of Education (DepEd) Tacloban City Division on Friday, January 10.

Participants include supervisors and principals from various schools in the city.

Dadulla noted that this event is part of a series of roadshows that Comelec will conduct in the city. The new vote counting machines, provided by the Korean firm Miru System, replace the Smartmatic machines that were used in previous elections.

As of October 2023, Comelec Tacloban reported a total of 147,126 registered voters. (CBA/PIA Eastern Visayas)

In other News
Skip to content