Comelec studying online voting in quake-hit Myanmar

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is looking into the feasibility of online voting for Filipinos in Myanmar in the May polls after it was struck by a magnitude 7.7 earthquake on March 28.

In Sandra Aguinaldo’s Monday report on “24 Oras,” Comelec said if telecommunication infrastructures are affected, Filipinos may have to vote manually using a ballot and counting machine.

“Ayaw pa naming isuko. Gusto namin official report ng consulate or ng embassy sa Pilipinas kung talagang kaya ng magpa-electronic voting dun o yung internet voting. Gusto namin alamin paano nakaapekto ang lindol sa infrastructure ng bansa at kung effective pa rin ba ang internet voting sa Myanmar. Otherwise, baka ipadala namin kaagad yung mga makina,” Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia said.

(We don’t want to give up. We want the official report of the Philippine Embassy in Myanmar if we can still have electronic voting or internet voting. We want to know how the earthquake affected the infrastructure and if internet voting is still effective in Myanmar. Otherwise, we will send the voting machine.)

With more than a month before the election, Comelec showed how it is conducting pre-election logic and accuracy tests (Pre-LAT) at its warehouse in Biñan, Laguna.

The Comelec explained that this move will ensure that all automated counting machines (ACMs) are working and coordinated.

As of March 31, Garcia said 47,000 out of 110,000 ACMs have undergone Pre-LAT.

Meanwhile, printed ballots are brought to Comelec’s warehouse in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

The Comelec said ballots in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and some areas in Visayas are ready to be shipped.

“Naroon na po kami sa kapirasong parte na lang ng paghahanda natin. On level of 1-10, nasa nine na po siguro tayo (We are nearing completion. On the scale of 1-10, I say we’re at number 9),” Garcia said.

Verification of the ballots is expected to finish on April 20.

Meanwhile, delivery of ACMs to different parts of the country is expected to begin on April 4.

For more Eleksyon 2025 related content and updates, visit GMA News Online's Eleksyon 2025 microsite. — Mariel Celine Serquiña/BAP, GMA Integrated News

For more Eleksyon 2025 related content and updates, visit GMA News Online's Eleksyon 2025 microsite.