DAVAO CITY – The Commission on Elections-Region 11 will start introducing and demonstrating the automated counting machine in the Davao region this month to facilitate a smooth voting process in the May 2025 national and local elections.
Speaking at the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas live on the official Facebook page of the Philippine Information Agency, Comelec-Davao Director Michael C. Abas said he would instruct all provincial supervisors to coordinate with the PIA as they are preparing to hold the ACM demonstration in all barangays, municipalities, cities, and provinces in the Davao region.
He added that people can expect a smooth electoral process with the upgraded machines.
“Our goal is to educate voters on using the new ACM and the voting process. This initiative aims to dispel any doubts or concerns that the election results may be predetermined or manipulated. The voters could verify who they voted for with the new machine,” Abas said.
Abas said that the commission’s initiative demonstrates their unwavering commitment to serving the public and upholding the integrity of the country’s electoral system.
He said they are looking forward to a successful conduct of the elections.
“Moving forward, we remain dedicated to continuously enhancing our efforts to make the electoral process transparent, accessible, and inclusive for all Filipinos. We believe we can achieve this successfully with the consistent support of our media partners, particularly the PIA,” he said.
Comelec-Davao Assistant Regional Director Gay A. Enumerables said they tallied 411,879 applications from Feb. 12 to Sept. 30 this year for registrations, transfers, reactivation, and correction of entries in voters’ registrations.
Comelec-Davao recorded 1,007,784 registered voters in Davao City, 366,696 in the first district, 332,962 in the second district, and 308,126 in the third district.
Comelec–Davao also tallied 464,812 registered voters in Davao del Sur, 721,737 in Davao del Norte, 88,220 in the Island Garden City of Samal, 551,671 in Davao de Oro, 435,188 in Davao Oriental, and 205,737 in Davao Occidental.
“These are the total number of registered voters in the Davao region right after the resumption of voter registration which concluded on Sept. 30. This is an initial record because we are still verifying the database on-site and preparing the precincts project,” Enumerables said.
Enumerables said they also recorded 203 satellite registrations in Davao City, 176 in Davao del Sur, 293 in Davao del Norte, 181 in Davao de Oro, 153 in Davao Oriental, and 72 in Davao Occidental.
Comelec-Davao reminded all candidates about Comelec Resolution No. 11064 that outlines the regulations, prohibitions, and punishments for using social media, artificial intelligence, and the internet for the digital election campaign.
The election period will start on Jan. 12. The certified voter’s list will be posted on Feb. 11 and the beginning of the campaign period for local positions is scheduled for March 28.