THE final testing and sealing of automated counting machines (ACMs) at polling precincts in the region proceeded without technical glitches on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) 7.
Francisco Pobe, director of Comelec 7, said they received no reports of untoward incidents during the transport of the ACMs to polling centers in Bohol and Cebu.
“So far so good,” he said.
Comelec 7 Election Assistant Officer John Raymund Ceniza said at a Kapihan sa PIA forum on Wednesday that the final testing and sealing ensures the ACMs function correctly with mock ballots.
Ceniza said some issues with internet connectivity were reported during testing, but these were resolved. Some precincts in Bohol and Cebu began the final testing and sealing on Tuesday, May 6, and ended on May 7.
Ceniza said the ACMs use the Starlink system for reliable internet connectivity for transmitting data and election results. Installation in some polling centers will occur a few hours before polls open on May 12, due to a lack of secure installation sites.
New ACM units have an advanced reading system, said Ceniza, and can read ballots shaded up to 50 percent.
Backup units
Defective or malfunctioning units found during the final testing and sealing will be immediately replaced with backup units. Malfunctioning units will be sent to repair hubs in the cities of Cebu, Danao, Carcar, and the Camotes Group of Islands, and repaired units will be returned quickly.
Ceniza said backup ACMs are available proportionally at each local Comelec office, but declined to reveal protocols for securing the machines installed at each polling precinct.
Each of the 27,098 precincts in Central Visayas has an ACM, to be used by the region’s 4.4 million registered voters. Cebu has 3.4 million registered voters spread across 4,120 clustered precincts.
In Mandaue City, the final testing and sealing of ACMs was carried out smoothly and peacefully, with no major issues reported, according to Election Officer II Jacquelyn Reuyan.
The city has 271 ACMs and 38 backup machines.
Residents and observers noted the improved efficiency of the process.
Niño Handumon, a resident who participated in the mock voting, said the ballot handling and machine verification were faster and more user-friendly compared to past elections.
“Mas dali ra karon ang process sa balota, mas sayon ug mas walay hasol (The process now is much faster, easier and less hassle),” he said.
Lapu-Lapu City also successfully conducted simultaneous final testing and sealing of ACMs across its 38 designated voting centers on Wednesday, according to Election Officer Ann Janette Lamban.
Lamban said the tested and sealed machines have been returned to their respective classrooms, where they will be guarded overnight by Philippine National Police personnel.
The Comelec Lapu-Lapu City Office deployed 302 ACMs to designated voting centers, with 42 backup units. Three boxes of indelible ink and 302 bundles of official ballots arrived on Tuesday.
A standby generator has also been prepared at the canvassing area in the City Hall’s session hall. / EHP, CAV & DPC