Comelec to check accuracy of replacement VCMs, too

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will make a separate assessment on the accuracy of Vote Counting Machines (VCMs) which replaced those that malfunctioned during election day.  

Comelec Commissioner Luie Guia made the announcement after the Random Manual Audit (RMA) panel, which he heads, released the RMA results showing that the VCMs used in the May polls is 99.9953 percent accurate—the highest accuracy rate recorded since the Philippines implemented the automated election system in 2010.

“We gave the list of the precincts selected in the RMA to our IT department so we can match them [to the list of areas] kung saan may problema ‘yung VCM saka Secure Digital (SD) cards,” Guia told reporters.

“From there, titignan natin kung anong resulta,” he added.

The RMA, which covered 711 clustered precincts in 246 legislative districts, was conducted by public school teachers under the supervision of the Comelec, Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA), Lente and the Philippine Statistics Authority from May 15 to June 5.

Of the over 85,000 VCMs used in the May 2019 polls, 961 units malfunctioned alongside 1,600 SD cards despite passing earlier tests.

The Comelec was able to replace all of the VCMs and the SD cards that malfunctioned but replacements did not come immediately, causing delay in the voting process in some areas. —LDF, GMA News