Delivery of 110,000 automated counting machines finished by November - Comelec

South Korean firm Miru Systems Inc. is expected to finish the delivery of all automated counting machines (ACMs) to be used in the May 2025 midterm polls by November, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Thursday.

This is one month ahead of schedule, according to poll body chief George Erwin Garcia, as Miru earlier promised to complete the delivery in December.

“December dapat ang nasa kontrata pero since matatapos nila yung kabuuan ng machines by October, they will be delivering the completed 110,000 by November dito sa atin,” Garcia told reporters on the sidelines of the hardware acceptance test of the ACMs.

(As per our contract, the delivery is supposed to be completed in December, but since they will be finished manufacturing all the machines by October, they will be delivering the completed 110,000 units to us by November.)

The Comelec started the hardware acceptance test of the ACMs on Wednesday, September 11.

During the testing, the poll body checked the hardware components of the counting machines, including their battery mode operation, screen, printer, camera, scanner, audio, USB ports, LED sensors, external keypad, network, and HDMI.

At least 856 out of 27,500 ACMs underwent testing.

“Kung isa sa mga components, kahit yung audio, ang nag-fail, kaagad isinasantabi ‘yung buong ACM. So far, ang nakikitang problema ay audio at kaagad itong nareremedyuhan. Kaagad itong naayos,” said Garcia.

(If one of the components, even the audio, fails, the entire ACM is immediately discarded. So far, the identified problem is the audio, and it's being quickly remedied. It's been immediately resolved.)

“For every batch of delivery, 5% of the total number of ACMs will undergo stress test…Random yun. At least paraan lang ‘yun para masubukan if the machines will stand temperature and other external factors,” he added.

(For every batch of delivery, 5% of the total number of ACMs will undergo a stress test...It's random. It's just a way to test if the machines can withstand temperature and other external factors.)

Three out of 856 ACMs failed the test, Garcia said.

Likewise, the poll body examined the Starlink units to be used for the transmission of the election results. —VBL, GMA Integrated News