THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has started distributing the vote counting machines (VCMs) for final testing and sealing on Friday, May 10.

Arnan Faustino, District 1 election officer, said distribution of VCMs to the electoral boards (EBs) started on Wednesday, May 8, and is expected to be completed by Friday, May 10, for the final testing and sealing.

Priority are those in far flung areas.

Security personnel composed of the police and military have been posted in different polling places, while road security forces are in position to guard the VCMs during transport to the EBs.

“We will be testing only the machines, not the ballots,” Faustino said.

The official ballots and other election paraphernalia arrived in the city on April 30 and are being kept and secured in the vault of the City Treasurer’s Office in City Hall.

This was confirmed earlier by City Treasurer Romelita Candido.

Faustino said the ballots will be distributed to the EBs on Sunday, from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., in preparation for the elections the following day.

First to be distributed are ballots for the far flung villages and island villages.

Election personnel assigned in these areas will have to sleep over in their polling places to watch over the machines and the ballots.

On Monday, May 13, polling precincts will open at 6 a.m. and close at 6 p.m.