Voters benefitted from innovations in May 12 polls — Comelec

ACCESSIBLE VOTING. A female senior citizen cast her vote at Marcelo H. Del Pilar Elementary School in Quezon City on Monday (May 12, 2025). The Commission on Elections (Comelec) implemented the early voting scheme for senior citizens, pregnant women, and persons with disabilities as part of its new innovations introduced for the 2025 midterm polls. (Photo courtesy: Robert Oswald P. Alfiler / PNA)

By Ferdinand Patinio | Philippine News Agency

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday said new innovations introduced in the May 12 midterm polls have benefitted many voters.

Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia reported in a press briefing that voters have relied on early voting and mall voting features when they cast their votes.

“Many voters have benefited from innovations implemented in this election such as early voting and mall voting,” he said.

The early voting feature benefitted members of the vulnerable sectors, including senior citizens, persons with disabilities and pregnant women, where they were allowed to cast their votes as early as 5:00 a.m..

Further, Garcia  reported that 311 automated counting machines (ACMs) encountered minor problems, but these were immediately resolved and did not disrupt the voting process.

Some of the issues encountered by the Comelec on election day were: the ACM itself (15), ACM cover (13), ACM scanner (77), ACM screen (11), ballots (5), manual audit (8), operational concern (2), procedural (1), smart card (1), thermal cutter (60), thermal paper (35), thermal printer (10), and USB device (10).

“In 2022, the Project Management Office would agree on this statement that during the Final Testing and Sealing, there were 2,000 ACMs that encountered problems,” Garcia said.

Also, the poll body chief reported that they have recorded fewer election-related violence (ERVs) in the May 2025 polls as compared to the last two elections.

“When it comes to election-related violence, more or less, we have 44. It’s still the lowest in the three elections we have,” he said.

Popular

PBBM leads ceremonial turnover of NIA-procured vehicles and maintenance equipment

By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet Closely following his attendance at the change of command ceremony held at Camp Crame, Quezon City earlier this Monday, June 2,...

DOTr, concerned agencies to file charges against online travel agent app charging exorbitant air fares amid Eastern Visayas transportation crisis

By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet On the heels of reports regarding online booking platforms taking advantage of the transportation crisis induced by the weakened San Juanico...

Solon: Survey reflects ‘strong public demand’ for VP Sara to face impeachment raps

By Brian Campued A House leader on Friday urged Vice President Sara Duterte to stop “policking” and face the impeachment charges filed against her, citing...

‘Time for Teves to face justice’ — PBBM

By Brian Campued President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday, stressed that it is now time for expelled lawmaker Arnolfo Teves Jr. to face the...