Michelle Ducut
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Pangasinan is set to launch a roadshow on December 2 to familiarize voters with the new automated counting machines (ACMs) that will be used in the May 12, 2025 elections.
Comelec Pangasinan election supervisor Ericson Oganiza announced that 48 ACMs, allocated to each town or city in the province, were delivered from the central office on Thursday. The roadshow aims to demonstrate the functionality of the machines in villages and schools across the province’s 48 municipalities and cities.
“We are kicking off the ACM roadshow on Monday. Election officers have their schedules, and we anticipate high interest as people are eager to experience the new machines firsthand,” Oganiza said in an interview on Friday.
The roadshow, which includes voter education and information drives, will run for a maximum of 60 days. Localities with fewer villages can complete their schedules early, allowing ACMs to be deployed to larger areas with more barangays.
The South Korean-made ACMs feature advanced capabilities, including ballot reading in three seconds, vote counting in 15-20 minutes, and printing nine copies of election results for government, media, and poll watchers. The machines operate on batteries lasting up to 14 hours and allow voters to verify their votes through a touchscreen display.
Comelec assured the public of the machines’ security, emphasizing that they do not rely on internet connectivity during the voting process, thereby reducing hacking risks.
Pangasinan, with over 2.17 million registered voters, will use the roadshow to engage and educate its constituents on the new voting system. “We encourage the public to monitor the roadshow schedules in their localities,” Oganiza said.