THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has acquired 500 additional Voter Registration Machines (VRMs) to be used for the resumption of the voters' registration on May 6 for the 2016 national and local elections.
Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said the new VRM units have been acquired to augment the present machines as the poll body expects voters to troop to local poll body offices to have their biometrics data captured.
"At the very least, we have one VRM in every town or city… its deployment depends on the perceived need," he said in an interview.
A VRM is a desktop computer equipped with a digital camera, fingerprint scanner, and signature pad attached to it to enable biometrics capture.
The biometrics data, on the other hand, refers to the automated identification of an individual particularly his/her photograph, fingerprint, and signature.
"We still have many areas with only one VRM. But in those where he expect a high number of registrants, we are giving assurance that the machine will not be over capacity," Jimenez added.
Aside from acquiring additional VRMs, the poll body official noted that their registration administrators are also ready for the resumption of registration on Tuesday and will run until October 30, 2015.
Jimenez said the training on VRM use has been continuous and up-to-date in order to ensure that all of them are aware of the software enhancements undertaken in the machines.
"Our training for administrators of the system is ongoing all year round. Every time there is an enhancement in the system, we send out our systems engineers or IT personnel to conduct the training," said Jimenez.
Earlier, the poll body Comelec reported that some 9.6 million registered voters found without biometrics data and are in danger of not being able to vote in the 2016 polls.
Under Republic Act 10367 or the Mandatory Biometrics Registration Act of 2013, voters, who fail to have their biometrics taken prior to the May 2016 elections, shall be deactivated from the voters' list and shall not be allowed to vote. (Sunnex)