By Xander Ledesma
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in the Negros Island Region (NIR) is preparing for a roadshow caravan starting December 2, 2024, to educate voters on the new automated counting machines (ACMs) to be used in the May 2025 mid-term elections.
Comelec-NIR regional election director, lawyer Lionel Marco Castillano, confirmed that election officers and staff involved in the caravan have completed training on operating the new ACMs. He explained that the machines are configured the same way as those to be used in the upcoming elections. However, the ACMs used during the caravan will not be capable of electronically transmitting results, as the primary goal is voter education on the machine’s new features.
The roadshow will run until January 30, 2025, and will reach various locations such as barangays, schools, and other community spaces across all towns and cities in the region. In addition to educating the general public, the Comelec will also focus on voters’ education for candidates, media, the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, and other groups.
Each municipality and city will receive one ACM, with an additional unit stationed at the Comelec-NIR regional office in Dumaguete City. The machines will be delivered directly to election officers upon arrival, with plans to ensure coverage, especially in hard-to-reach barangays, by distributing ACMs to provincial Comelec offices as well.