ILOILO CITY: The Commission on Elections (Comelec) 6 (Western Visayas) will hold a roadshow presentation to introduce to the public the enhanced features of the automated counting machines (ACMs), starting later this month until Jan. 31, 2025. ‘We had so many enhancements that we incorporated in the machines. Though, basically, it would still be the same – we will still be doing the shading of the ballots and will be feeding the ballot to the machine – but because of the enhancements, there is a need for us to have these introduced to all our stakeholders,’ Comelec-6 Election Director Dennis Ausan said during the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas on Tuesday.

According to Philippines News Agency, unlike before when they only had two machines for the entire region, this year, it would have 102 ACMs for 101 local government units and the regional office of the commission. In the new ACM, the voter can see the face of the ballot on the screen. They will also have the chance to retrieve their ballots if they want to ch
oose and add more candidates should they forget to fill in the allowed number of candidates. The receipt that will be generated has a QR code that can be scanned by the ACM, which they can check after the counting and transmission of results, he added. ‘That will enhance the transparency of the entire process,’ he said, adding that the final configurations of the ACM would be introduced during the first-ever convention of all election officers at the World Trade Center in Manila on Nov. 19.

Meanwhile, Iloilo City Election Officer IV Pinky Tentativa said four malls in the city would serve as venues for the mall voting program. These include Robinsons Place Main, which will cater to five barangays, and one barangay each for SM City, Festive Walk Mall, and Robinsons Place Jaro. ‘All registered voters for the approved barangay will cast votes at the mall. The very purpose of Comelec is to decongest public schools used as voting centers,’ she said. Mall voting will also be held in Roxas City in Capiz, also at Rob
insons Place.

Meanwhile, the estimated 3.1 million voters of Western Visayas will be reduced by about 1.6 million with the separation of Negros Occidental. They have yet to determine, however, the final number of registered voters since the project of precincts (POPs) is still being conducted by teams from their central office. The project of precincts contains the number of registered voters, voting centers, polling places to function, teachers who will be hired, and ballots to be printed.