LUCENA CITY, Quezon. Residents in Lucena City participated in a demonstration of the new automated voting machine that will be used in the upcoming May 12, 2025 midterm elections. The event, held at a local mall on Saturday, was led by Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chair George Erwin Garcia, who introduced the advanced features of the machine designed to enhance the voting process.
The new voting machine includes a smooth receptacle for the ballot, a wide touchscreen monitor for easy review of the votes cast, and a secure receptacle for the voter’s receipt. Unlike previous elections where ballot receipts were dropped into a box beside the counting machine, the new design aims to eliminate doubts regarding the accuracy of the vote count.
“We immediately addressed voters’ doubts whether their votes are counted because their receipts were just placed in the yellow box,” Garcia emphasized during the demonstration.
In addition to showcasing the new machine, Garcia urged deactivated voters to renew their registration. “Our records show that 5.2 million Filipinos were deactivated because they failed to vote during the 2022 elections and Barangay and SK (Sangguniang Kabataan) elections last year,” he said. Currently, Comelec has 52 million registered voters, with the deadline for registration set for September 30, with no plans for an extension.
Garcia also mentioned that Comelec is aiming to proclaim the winners within three to four days after the election. “Ang senador siguro, abutin kami three days. Dati rati dalawang linggo na ang Comelec, hindi pa nakakatapos sa pagbilang. Siguro three to four days, Napakahaba na nung apat na araw,” he explained. One of the challenges in the past has been the delayed crediting of overseas votes and the occurrence of election failures in certain areas, both of which contribute to the slow proclamation of winners.
The demonstration highlighted Comelec’s commitment to improving the electoral process and ensuring a smooth and efficient election in 2025.
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