The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Saturday, June 27, 2026, declared the simulation exercises for the automated election system (AES) to be used in the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections (BPE) a success, just 80 days before the actual polls.
Simulation locations and participation
According to the Comelec, the simulation activity was successfully conducted in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte; Bongao, Tawi-Tawi; and Cotabato City. A total of 500 voters participated across 10 clustered precincts, each with 50 voters.
“It is deemed successful if we can transmit properly and without interruption, our machines as well as the performance of the batteries work well, and the (positive) acceptance of the people,” said Comelec Chairman George Garcia in an interview.
Voting and transmission timeline
Voting commenced at around 7 a.m. and concluded by 10 a.m. Transmission of results by the automated counting machines (ACM) took place between 10:04 a.m. and 10:18 a.m. The results were successfully transmitted to the respective servers of the Comelec, dominant majority, dominant minority, media, Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, and National Movement for Free Elections.
End-Monitoring Report
The Comelec’s End-Monitoring Report indicated a 100% success rate across all metrics: open voting to close voting, counting of votes, voter turnout, and clustered precincts/ACM transmission. The BPE is scheduled for September 14, 2026, using the automated election system.
