New VCMs to be used in 2025 midterm polls

MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said the vote-counting machines (VCMs) used Monday will no longer be used in succeeding polls.

Commissioner Marlon Casquejo said the more than 100,000 VCMs are old and will be replaced, starting in the 2025 midterm elections.
 
“I think this is the last dance of our VCMs. We will no longer use it in the 2025 elections. Even if we say that only a small budget will be given in 2025, but we will insist we would not use these VCMs anymore for the succeeding elections,” he said in a press briefing at the Philippine International Convention Center Forum Tent in Pasay City.

“Even under the COA (Commission on Audit) rules, the lifespan of our technical machines is only five years. These machines are already close to nine years (old),” he added.

Casquejo said the machines may be used for other purposes, like checking examination results at the Professional Regulation Commission.

The VCMs were first used in the 2016 national and local elections.

The automated election was implemented in 2010 using precinct counting optical scan machines that were also used in 2013.