According to the Commission on Elections (Comelec), approximately 80,000 automated counting machines (ACMs) arrived in the Philippines for use in the upcoming midterm elections and parliamentary elections in the autonomous region of Bangsamoro in Muslim Mindanao. Today, October 26, Comelec stated that nearly 80,000 of the expected 110,000 ACMs have been delivered to the Comelec warehouse in Binangonan, Laguna. This was reported by Comelec Chairman George Garcia in a statement to the Philippine Information Agency.
"We are printing only what is necessary," Garcia noted, unlike previous cases when there was an excess of ballots. Garcia announced that as of today, no fewer than 68 million voters have registered across the country, with approximately 93% of the voting population.
He also emphasized that printing ballots is scheduled to begin in December. "The printing of 1.2 million test ballots will be completed at maximum within three days. They will be used for an informational campaign across the country on the use of automated counting machines," Garcia added.