All 110,620 Automated Counting Machines (ACMs) to be used in the May 2025 National and Local Elections has been delivered to the Commission on Election (Comelec).
The ACMs were delivered to the poll body on Wednesday, November 27, a month ahead of the government’s mandated timeline for the preparation of the 2025 National and Local Elections, and further exemplifies the efficiency and expertise of the country’s new election provider, a Miru Systems official said.
“As an experienced election provider, we understand the importance of delivering on the government’s milestones. We are proud to have finished delivery of our new and more sophisticated machines, and will continue to work diligently with the COMELEC as these machines undergo strict quality control and security tests,” said Mr. Ken Cho, Miru Systems VP.
“Nagpapasalamat tayo sa Miru Systems kasi mas pinapadali nila ang buhay ng commision ng elections sa maagang delivery nila (We are grateful to Miru Systems for making the lives of the Commission on Elections easier with their timely delivery),” said Comelec Chairman George Garcia.
“Ang kagagandahan ng mas maagang delivery ay mas maaga din ang hardware assessment tests(The beauty of earlier delivery is that it also allows for earlier hardware assessment tests)," Garcia added.
All machines and election peripherals are undergoing hardware acceptance tests at the Comelec warehouse in Biñan, Laguna. A random five (5) percent of the machines will also undergo stress testing. So far, none of the machines that have undergone hardware acceptance testing have been rejected.
Meanwhile, the software being used for the elections is, likewise, undergoing a strict source code review by industry professionals and election stakeholders, and will also undergo international certification. Miru and Comelec have been consistent in inviting media and stakeholders to be present throughout these crucial preparations.
The final delivery consists of the last batch of 9,860 machines, their respective hard cases, power cords, and adapters. Miru also provided an additional 600 machines as contingency for no additional costs.
As all machines are now in the country, the Comelec has also begun training election board members from all regions of the Philippines on how to operate and ensure the security of the machines.
All municipalities will then have a chance to showcase the features of the new machines to their constituents during the official election roadshow and mock elections. This voter’s education program will begin on December 2.
“Our machines are sophisticated and ensure higher efficiency and security for those in charge of polling stations. We are excited to begin rolling out the machines for the different regions so that all Filipinos will feel confident in the security of the upcoming elections,” Cho added.