The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has reached more or less 80 percent of the total number of registered voters in Negros Oriental in its ongoing automated counting machine (ACM) roadshow and demonstration.

“We cannot possibly get a 100 percent reach in all the barangays of Negros Oriental as it is impossible due to safety reasons and other concerns, but we are happy that a large number of registered voters have been educated on the use of the ACMs,” Comelec-Negros Island Region (NIR) Director Atty. Lionel Marco Castillano told the Philippine News Agency in an interview yesterday.

He added that the Comelec had conducted the demo in almost every barangay or clustered barangays where it was warmly accepted by the people.

There are 978,643 registered voters in the 557 barangays of Negros Oriental.

Castillano said the roadshow/demo has also been brought to schools, government agencies, detention centers, and other institutions.

This was the first time that vote counting machines were brought to all the cities and municipalities in the province, allowing voters to familiarize themselves with the new ACM before the May 12 elections.

In the past, only two machines were deployed to the region for Comelec’s one-month voters’ education campaign, Castillano noted.

The ACM roadshow will end on Friday, January 31. (PNA)