THE Commission on Elections-Davao Region (Comelec-Davao) aims to release the 2025 National and Local Election results within 24 hours after the voting day on May 12, 2025, provided no transmission issues occur, an official said during a media briefing on May 1, 2025.
“As much as possible, we need it within 24 hours,” Comelec-Davao assistant regional election director lawyer Gay Enumerables said, noting that the process concludes once the Certificate of Canvas and Proclamation is printed.
Enumerables recalled that in past elections, some areas completed counting early, with winning candidates proclaimed before dawn. She stressed that seamless transmission is critical to meeting the 24-hour target.
The official clarified that voting hours will be from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. across Davao’s clustered precincts, serving millions of registered voters. Voting may extend beyond 7 p.m. for those still in line.
“Before close voting, everything, ang pinaka-last is yung ballot review... part 'yan sa protocol. (Before closing, the final step is the ballot review, that’s part of our protocol)," Enumerables said.
The review involves displaying randomly selected ballots on the Automated Counting Machine (ACM) screen for 15 seconds on the front and five seconds on the back, allowing scrutiny after ballots are dropped.
Addressing concerns about ballot secrecy, Enumerables assured that votes are counted anonymously. “Dili, kay humana, naihap na ug dili na i-identify kung kinsa ang botante (No. Because the ballots have been counted, and voters will not be identified),” she said, ensuring privacy. Germa Siazon, UM Intern