THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) is not looking for a specific voting system but will create its own automated election system (AES) based on the best features of the different voting machines presented during first-ever National Election Summit held last month.

At the Kapihan sa Manila Bay, Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco said they will be choosing the best features of the machines, incorporating them, and come up with one system to be utilized in the forthcoming electoral exercises.

“Before, our thinking was which is the best system among the providers. Now, the Comelec has a different way of thinking. Which part of these systems best suits the Comelec and the Filipino people. We are not just looking at one technology available. We want to see which advancements in technology we can tap and combine into one automated system, which we will bid out and use come elections,” the poll body official said.

Laudiangco said among the features they are looking at is the inclusion of an auditing feature in the voting machines.

“You shall be able to see a system that will not just count, will not just canvass, but can also do the auditing,” he added.

On the other hand, the Comelec official said using the hybrid system is not being ruled out yet.

“We are still open to it. Whatever is passed into law, we will follow it,” he said.

Under the system which is being pushed for so long, involve the voting and counting is manual, while transmission and canvassing is automated.

Last month, the Comelec held in Pasay City the 1st National Election Summit which was attended by different officials from the government, private sector and other stakeholders.

Earlier, the Comelec said they are looking to utilize a new AES for the 2025 polls, and will no longer use the old vote counting machines (VCMs). Philippine News Agency

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