The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) is coordinating with security and energy authorities to ensure uninterrupted power supply for the historic first Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Parliamentary Elections on Monday, September 14.
COMELEC Chairman George Erwin Garcia said contingency measures have been prepared to prevent power disruptions from affecting the electoral process.
“We have coordinated with the security and energy sectors to ensure there will be no power outages on Election Day, although our machines can operate for three days even without electricity,” Garcia said.
Garcia said the automated counting machines (ACMs) to be used in the polls are equipped with backup batteries that can keep them running for several days even in the event of a power outage.
He also encouraged voters, candidates, political parties, media representatives, and sectoral groups to observe the final testing and sealing of the ACMs on Saturday.
The procedure will be conducted in all 5,212 voting centers.
“Our fellow citizens, the media, candidates, political parties, and sectoral organizations should witness this,” he said.
Garcia said the testing and sealing process is important in determining whether the machines are ready and functioning properly before Election Day.
“That is how we will know if the machines are counting correctly, if the ballots are being accepted, and if the machines can effectively transmit results on Election Day.”
During Monday’s elections, voters in the Bangsamoro region will select one parliamentary district representative, one parliamentary political party, and six parliamentary sectoral representatives.
The six sectoral seats will consist of two representatives for settler communities and one representative each for women, youth, ulama, and traditional leaders.