Press Release No. EBB-32-2019

Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah Successfully Conducts Final Testing and Sealing of Vote Counting Machines for the 2019 National Elections

(Jeddah, 14 April 2019)– The Special Boards or Election Inspectors (SBEI) of the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia successfully conducted the Final Testing and Sealing (FTS) of the Vote Counting Machines (VCMs) to be used for overseas voting in connection with the 2019 National Elections.

The purpose of the FTS is to ensure the integrity of all VCMs. With the FTS, the voters are assured that all the machines are in proper working condition. The FTS was conducted in the presence of assigned poll watchers, Philippine media and the general public.

Key members of the electoral boards previously underwent an intensive three-day training in Riyadh on 18 to 20 March 2019 on some of the latest resolutions and issuances of the COMELEC and the operation of VCMs in connection with the 2019 National Elections. Afterwhich, a written and hands-on exam was administered by the Department of Information and Communications Technology representatives, wherein the Consulate’s participants garnered a 100% passing rate.

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