By JEN BAYLON

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Negros Occidental is finalizing the deployment of automated counting machines (ACMs), with the final batch expected to arrive today, provincial election supervisor Ian Lee Ananoria said.

Ananoria confirmed that most machines are already in place, with only one remaining batch pending delivery.

“Once the final ACM arrives, the province’s allocation will be complete. We will then deploy these to election offices across all cities and municipalities,” he said.

A total of 2,016 ACMs have already arrived since last week.

These are securely stored in a warehouse in Bacolod City under guard by the Bacolod City Police Office.

Of the ACMs that arrived, 398 ACMs were allotted for polling centers in Bacolod, city election officer Revo Sorbito said.

Sorbito said the ACMs have already been inspected and are now stored in the Comelec-designated warehouse.

The ACMs will undergo a full inventory to verify their condition and ensure no units are missing, Ananoria said.

They will be delivered to the different clustered voting precincts in the province on May 6 for final testing and sealing.

The Comelec-NegOcc has coordinated with the Philippine National Police and Philippine Army to finalize security protocols for ACMs.

The official ballots for the May 2025 elections are also set to arrive in early May, aligning with the Comelec’s nationwide distribution timeline.

These efforts come as the province continues to manage election logistics amid ongoing displacement from the Kanlaon Volcano eruption, which has necessitated makeshift polling centers at evacuation sites./JB, WDJ