The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will use automated counting machines (ACMs) for the first parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved a law resetting the polls to Sept. 14, 2026.
Comelec chair George Erwin Garcia said the poll body is studying the possibility of tapping South Korean firm Miru Systems as the provider of the ACMs to be used in the BARMM elections.
Garcia said Comelec would need around 3,200 to 3,300 ACMs to automate vote counting and transmission, ensuring faster and more transparent results in the region. He added the commission will issue rules and guidelines for filing certificates of candidacy, submission of party nominees, and the setting of a new filing period. Vito Barcelo
The Comelec will shoulder the expenses for the conduct of the BARMM polls, although the Bangsamoro government may provide additional funding if necessary. Filings made from Nov. 4 to 9, 2024 must be refiled within the new period to be determined by the poll body.
Substitution of candidates or nominees will not be allowed except in cases of death or disqualification. In January, the Comelec postponed the first BARMM parliamentary elections for the fourth time, citing legal and operational constraints following delays in the passage of the region’s redistricting law.
