Comelec, DOST, DICT partner to ensure vote integrity

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday signed a deal with two state agencies to ensure vote integrity in the May 12 midterm polls.

- EJ MACABABBAD

Inspection of automated counting machines (ACMs) and certification of electoral board members will be undertaken by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), as part of a tripartite agreement with the Comelec and Department of Information and Communications Technology.

The DOST will conduct stress and electronic tests of newly acquired ACMs from Miru Systems, which replaced Smartmatic machines since the country shifted to automated elections in 2010.

Since 2016, the passing rate of machine operator certification has reached over 90 percent, the DOST noted.

In the 2022 polls, almost 95 percent of 205,413 electoral board members were certified.