THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday asked the public to personally witness the conduct of the final testing and sealing (FTS) of vote-counting machines (VCMs) to be used in he May 9 polls in their respective polling precincts.
“From May 2 to 7, we will have this final testing and sealing of VCMs all over the country.
Check the schedule of the local Comelec,” said Comelec Commissioner George Garcia.
“Everyone should be there, the watchers, observers, and anyone, who wants to witness them, even just outside the polling precincts,” he added.
Garcia said the VCMs will be tested with the use of 10 sample ballots, and be made to produce election returns that will show that they are empty.
“You will be able to personally witness that the machines are counting accurately and are empty,” he said.
Under the Poll Automation Law, there must be a final examination and testing of the VCMs to be used in each polling precinct.
After the final testing and examination, the VCMs will be closed and sealed by electoral boards, and will be opened only on Election Day.
For the May 9 polls, the FTS shall be conducted between May 2 and May 7.
There are 106,174 VCMs to be used in the same number of clustered precincts on Election Day.
