Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is contemplating the handover of its aging precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines and vote-counting machines (VCMs) to the Department of Education (DepEd) or the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC). These machines, used in five national elections, are now considered outdated for election purposes.
According to Philippines News Agency, During the budget plenary debates, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III inquired about the potential use of these machines by other agencies or governments. Senator Imee Marcos, sponsoring Comelec's proposed 2024 budget, revealed that Comelec currently stores 80,000 PCOS machines and 97,000 VCMs in its Laguna warehouse. She mentioned ongoing discussions about DepEd or PRC possibly taking over these machines for checking exams and other applications.
Comelec's expenditure on these machines since their procurement from 2010 to 2022 has totaled PHP19.7 billion. Comelec Chair George Erwin Garcia has indicated that the machines are no longer usable for elections and has invited other agencies to assess their potential utility.
The Comelec is transitioning to a new automated poll system for the 2025 midterm elections. It proposes to lease 116,000 automated counting machines (ACMs) at a cost of approximately PHP19.8 billion, including collaterals like ballot boxes, ballot printing paper, and SD cards. This lease strategy is recommended due to the outdated nature of the current machines and their inability to meet current standards.
Anticipating around 71 million voters by 2025, Comelec proposes a budget of PHP27.2 billion for next year to ensure orderly and peaceful future elections.