The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is expecting the final and full delivery of the automated counting machines (ACMs) intended for Negros Oriental and Siquijor on Thursday, April 24.

Comelec-Negros Island Region Director Lionel Marco Castillano said in an interview yesterday that all the ACMs would be stored at a hub in capital Dumaguete City before being deployed to the towns and cities on April 28.

“The ACMs will be deployed to the election officers for safekeeping until the Final Testing and Sealing on May 6,” Castillano said.

The ACMs, 275 for Negros Oriental and 43 for Siquijor, which comprise the second batch of delivery, are expected to arrive in the city port here in one container van on board a cargo vessel.

Negros Oriental requires 1,289 ACMs and Siquijor, 149 ACMs, equivalent to the same number of clustered voting precincts.

On April 17, four container vans arrived here with the first batch of ACMs offloaded and now stored at the hub designated by the Comelec’s official cargo forwarder.

The first shipment consisted of 1,014 ACMs for Negros Oriental and 106 for Siquijor.

Meanwhile, all ballot boxes have already been delivered and stored at the hub.

Both the ACMs and the ballot boxes will be deployed on Monday, April 28, Castillano said. (PNA)