ELECTRONIC VOTING AND COUNTING MACHINES illustrations by Ed Lustan / Inquirer.internet
MANILA, Philippines—As hundreds of thousands of Filipinos solid their votes for the 2025 midterm elections, the introduction of the Automated Counting Machines (ACMs) from South Korea’s Miru Techniques marks a serious shift within the nation’s voting know-how.
After greater than a decade of utilizing Smartmatic’s Vote Counting Machines (VCMs), the Fee on Elections (Comelec) opted to change to Miru’s ACMs, promising modernization and enhanced safety for the electoral course of.
Whereas the brand new system boasts quicker vote counting and improved transparency, critics have raised pink flags, pointing to Miru’s worldwide controversies and unresolved points from earlier automated elections.
With 68 million registered voters set to solid their ballots for over 18,000 positions, the stakes are excessive, and the demand for a flawless and credible election is louder than ever.
Promise of automation: Quicker, smarter, extra clear
The choice to undertake Miru’s ACMs follows years of complaints in regards to the outdated and error-prone Smartmatic VCMs used since 2010. Comelec asserts that the ACMs supply vital enhancements, together with elevated poll processing pace, real-time vote transmission, and enhanced voter verification options.
READ: Miru System: A serious shift in voting know-how awaits 2025 elections
In accordance with Comelec Chair George Erwin Garcia, the ACMs deal with earlier points by providing the next advantages:
- Enhanced pace and effectivity: With a processing pace of 220 millimeters per second—over thrice quicker than the outdated VCMs—the ACMs intention to cut back lengthy queues at voting facilities.
- Improved transparency: The brand new machines characteristic a big, 12-inch show that reveals the scanned picture of the poll after it’s inserted, permitting voters to visually confirm their selections.
- Built-in safety measures: The ACMs print voter receipts with QR codes, which the machines can confirm. In contrast to earlier than, the place separate poll packing containers saved receipts, the ACMs have built-in compartments for organized storage.
- Transportable and unbiased: The ACMs include battery packs, eliminating the necessity for {an electrical} outlet, and may transmit votes on-line solely after a safe dongle is inserted, making certain offline operation throughout voting.
Regardless of these enhancements, watchdog teams equivalent to Kontra Daya stay skeptical. In statements launched to the media, Kontra Daya convenor Danilo Arao emphasised that the underlying problems with transparency have but to be addressed.
“Kontra Daya doesn’t think about the ACM a considerable enchancment from the previous VCM. The precise counting of votes continues to be not clear,” mentioned Arao.
“COMELEC insists on pace as transmission occurs instantly after the printing of the election returns. It stresses that ready for any handbook tally primarily based on the ACM’s poll photos could take a number of hours,” the watchdog group added.
“In different phrases, COMELEC desires the folks to belief the machine and doesn’t see the necessity to confirm first by way of handbook counting previous to transmission.”
Transparency issues
A report by the Worldwide Observer Mission (IOM) — a people-led, unbiased election remark initiative organized by the Worldwide Coalition for Human Rights within the Philippines (ICHRP) — raised issues over the transparency of the digital voting course of.
Observers famous that the present system’s design doesn’t permit for unbiased audits or clear verification of votes solid, elevating doubts about its reliability and vulnerability to manipulation.
One of many main transparency issues flagged by ballot watchers concerned the web voting system. In accordance with election watchdogs, many citizens who participated in on-line voting reported that they may not visibly confirm the names of the candidates they voted for.
This lack of verification is linked to a 146-page doc related to voting affirmation. Tabs Ponciano of Malaya Motion USA defined that this doc, which is meant to function proof of 1’s vote, is meaningless to many citizens.
“We have now many countrymen who are usually not additionally coders, however they see, or they obtain after Submit their vote, that is 146-page code containing ‘Yung poll content material. That is it affirmation. He isn’t clear. He isn’t actual affirmation of voting. Illegible She is for most individuals.”
(There are various Filipinos who are usually not coders, however what they see, or obtain after submitting their vote, is that this 146-page code containing the poll content material. That is the affirmation. It’s not clear. It’s not an actual affirmation of voting. It’s illegible for most individuals.)
The IOM report, in assist of Kontra Daya’s push for a extra clear course of, beneficial a hybrid technique for the 2025 elections. This proposal suggests combining on-line transmission of votes with handbook counting on the precinct degree, a way geared toward stopping discrepancies and enhancing belief within the system.
IOM additional emphasised that growing transparency by way of handbook counting of electronically solid votes may restore confidence within the electoral course of and enhance voter participation.
Questionable software program replace
On the eve of the elections, Might 11, 2025, Kontra Daya issued an announcement flagging a questionable software program replace used within the remaining testing and sealing of ACMs. In accordance with the watchdog group, the model put in through the testing—3.5.0—was not licensed beneath the Technical Analysis Committee (TEC), which solely accredited model 3.4.0.
In its assertion, Kontra Daya demanded that Comelec clarify the unannounced software program change, expressing issues that it may compromise the integrity of the vote.
“We can’t simply subscribe to the official narrative to easily belief the machine,” the group mentioned. “The machine and its inside workings ought to mirror the folks’s vote and be topic to public scrutiny to make sure that it’s going to document our vote.”
Kontra Daya argued that introducing an uncertified software program model may open the door to digital manipulation, domestically referred to as “extra-reduction” (vote padding and shaving).
The watchdog insisted that with out unbiased audits and a clear rationalization from Comelec, the credibility of all the election course of stays in danger.
With out unbiased audits and a clear rationalization from Comelec, the watchdog argued, the credibility of all the election course of stays in danger.
Comelec fires again
Comelec was fast to refute the allegations, pointing to a video initially posted by Jeryll Harold Respicio, a lawyer, accountant, and vice mayoral aspirant from Isabela, as the foundation of the controversy.
Within the video, Respicio claimed that the supply code used within the ACMs was not audited because it didn’t match the hash code discovered within the audit report posted on the Comelec web site.
The ballot physique responded firmly, stating:
“To the information of all, duly audited The supply code of ACM and match the hash code which it makes use of to remaining trusted construct na audited of unbiased third-party auditor – Worldwide Certification Entity.”
Comelec clarified that the three.4.0 model listed within the Native Supply Code Evaluate Report was certainly the one which underwent an unbiased third-party audit. Following its approval, it was rebranded as model 3.5.0, which is at present deployed within the ACMs.
“Nothing to fret about our countrymen tomorrow as a result of the ACM system used to undergo the correct technique of evaluation, trusted construct, at audit of varied consultants and organizations within the subject of Info Know-how,” Comelec assured.
Regardless of Comelec’s clarification, Kontra Daya responded tersely:
“3.4.0 shouldn’t be equal to three.5.0.”
The group maintained its stance, reiterating that an unexplained model change is sufficient to solid doubt on the reliability of the vote-counting course of.
Worldwide controversies: Miru’s flawed monitor document
Miru’s know-how has been mired in controversy in international locations like Iraq and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
- In Iraq’s 2018 elections, 70 p.c of voting machines didn’t transmit or document outcomes precisely.
- Within the DRC’s 2018 elections, 45 p.c of polling stations skilled tools malfunctions, prompting world observers to name the elections “a failure of know-how.”
Regardless of these points, Miru retained contracts in these international locations. Miru’s representatives attributed the criticisms to “rumors” and “political manipulation,” however world watchdogs stay skeptical.
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What lies forward for the 2025 Elections
Because the Philippines steps into a brand new period of automated elections, the stakes are excessive—not only for the candidates, however for the credibility of the nation’s electoral course of. Watchdogs proceed to demand handbook precinct-level counting and unbiased audits to stop digital tampering.
The result of the 2025 elections won’t simply mirror political selections—it’s going to function a take a look at of the nation’s belief in know-how and the democratic course of.
Graphics by Ed Lustan/Inquirer.internet. Sources: Comelec, INQUIRER.internet information archive, ndi.org
