All 110,620 Automated Counting Machines (ACMs) to be used for the May 2025 midterm elections were delivered to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday.
“This is one 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 Miru Systems,” Comelec Chairman George Garcia said.
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 a contingency for no additional costs.
Garcia expressed gratitude to Miru Systems for making it easier for Comelec to deliver the ACMs: “The good thing for the early delivery is that we can conduct hardware assessment tests.”
All machines and election peripherals are undergoing hardware acceptance tests at the Comelec warehouse in Biñan, Laguna, with a random 5 percent of the machines also undergoing 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.
“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,” Miru Systems VP Ken Ch said in a statement.
As all machines are now in the country, Comelec has 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.
According to Comelec, the voter’s education program will begin on December 2.
