Over 24,000 vote counting machines for 2025 polls now in PH

8,640 voting machines are partially delivered to the Commission on Election (Comelec)’s warehouse in Biñan, Laguna on Saturday, August 31, 2024. (Photo from the Office of the Comelec chairman)

MANILA, Philippines — A total of 24,400 automated counting machines (ACMs) for the 2025 midterm elections are now in the country, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Garcia said on Saturday. 

“Sa kasalukuyan, mayroon na tayong 24,000 machines. 17,400 machines ‘yan ‘yong nakikita niyo dito ngayon. ‘Yong 7,000, ‘yan nasa Customs pero nasa Pilipinas na,” Garcia said in a press briefing.

(We currently have 24,000 machines. 17,400 machines are what you can see here now. The 7,000 [machines] are in Customs but they’re already here in the country.)

“Ilalabas ng Customs ‘yon so more or less, sa month ng August, magkakaroon tayo ng 24,000 vote counting, automated counting machines,” he added. 

(It will be released by the Customs so more or less, for the month of August, we will have 24,000 vote counting, automated counting machines.)

Garcia also noted that Miru Systems, the automated election systems provider tapped by Comelec for the 2025 elections had a commitment to bring 20,000 ACMs to the country by August but it has already exceeded the commitment by delivering an additional 4,000 machines. 

Comelec is also expecting more batches to be delivered next month until December.

“Pagdating ng September ay inaasahan natin ang 30,000 na makina na ide-deliver sa atin ng Miru. Pagdating ng October ay another 30,000 at pagdating ng December ‘yong natitirang balanse sa 110,000 ay madedeliver na ng Miru,” Garcia said.

(We expect the delivery of 30,000 machines from Miru by September. Another 30,000 machines are expected by October and the remaining balance from the 110,000 machines will arrive by December.)

The P17.99 billion contract signed by Comelec and Miru Systems in March includes the delivery of 110,000 voting machines, election management systems, consolidation and canvassing systems (CCS), ballot printing, ballot boxes, and other peripherals.

Garcia shared that Miru has fully delivered all the following for the month of August: CCS laptops, CCS printers, USB (universal serial bus) hub dangles, cable ties, toners, CCS box kits, hot ballots, laboratory text ballots, application servers, and database servers.

“Lahat po ito ay 100% nang nandito sa Comelec warehouse so natutuwa tayo dahil at least sa mga bagay na ito ay hindi namin sila ipe-penalty dahil base sa ating procurement law, bawat isang araw ng delay ay pwedeng silang ma-penalty,” he added.

(All of these are 100 percent here in the Comelec warehouse so we are happy because at least, they will not have to penalize them. Based on our procurement law, they may face a penalty for every day of delay.)

What comes next

Garcia, in the press briefing, introduced the steps they will be taking after the delivery of the voting machines in the country.

He said that the poll body has a strict implementation of quality control.

“Napakastrikto po ng quality control namin… Ang instruction namin, pag may nakitang problema, reject na reject. Ibalik nang ibalik. Para sa atin, there is no compromise when it comes to sa mga dine-deliver sa atin,” he said.

(Our quality control is very strict… Our instruction, if we see a problem, reject and return. For us, there is no compromise when it comes to those being delivered to us.)

“Halimbawa, hindi naman kasalanan ng Miru pero sa pagkakapatong ng mga boxes thermal paper medyo may nayukot, di po natin tinanggap at binalik sapagkat baka maapektuhan ‘yong performance ng mga makina pagdating ng araw ng eleksyon. Ganon po kataas ang quality control na ipinapatupad dito,” he added.

(For example, it is not Miru’s fault, but due to the stacking of thermal paper boxes, there had been a crease so we did not accept and we returned because it might affect the performance of the machines on the election day. That’s how strict our quality control is.)

The machines will also be undergoing testing such as the hardware acceptance test and laboratory test. According to Garcia, the laboratory test will check if the machines are working properly.

In addition, he said that a source code review that will be happening by October is important to assess how the machine works and how it will count the votes.

After that process, the Comelec will conduct an international certification.

“Kinakailangan macertify ito ng isang international entity para sabihin na handa at tama ang ating sistema,” Garcia said.

(This has to be certified by an international entity to say that the system is ready and accurate.)

Garcia also said that they are now expecting the delivery of two printing machines to the National Printing Office.

It is part of Miru’s commitment to bring two new printers that will be coming from Germany worth P300 million each.