Comelec Orders Final Check on VCMs for Absentee Voting
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has ordered a final check on the vote counting machines (VCMs) that will be used for overseas absentee voting.
In a resolution, the Comelec said the final testing and sealing (FTS) of the VCMs should be conducted within three weeks before the start of the voting period for Filipinos abroad.
The FTS is the last procedure needed to ensure the completeness, security and accuracy of the VCMs before they are used on election day.
The Comelec said candidates, political parties and party-list groups would be notified before the FTS is done.
“The Office for Overseas Voting shall notify them at least three days before the testing and sealing of the VCM by posting a notice of the date, time and place thereof, on the official website of the Commission,” the poll body said.
There will be actual voting using 10 FTS-specific ballots, which will then be fed to the VCMs during the FTS. The VCMs shall generate eight copies of the FTS results using thermal paper.
Aside from the counting machines, accomplished FTS ballots shall also be manually counted and verified by the Special Board of Election Inspectors (SBEIs).
After FTS, the VCMs will be sealed and would not be opened until April 9 when the Philippine voting posts open in Agana, Chicago, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, Ottawa, San Francisco, Toronto, Vancouver, Washington, London, Madrid, Milan, Rome, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Osaka, Seoul, Singapore, Tokyo, Abu Dhabi, Beirut, Doha, Dubai, Jeddah, Kuwait, Manama, Al Khobar, Riyadh and Tel Aviv.
At least 26 Philippine posts will use the manual voting system and another 26 the personal manual voting system.
The overseas voting period runs from April 9 to May 9.