Comelec sets field test, mock polls

NINE months before the May 2025 polls, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has scheduled the conduct of the field testing of the automated election system (AES) and the holding of mock polls in different parts of the country and overseas.

Comelec chairman George Garcia said the field tests is scheduled on October 30, while the mock elections will be held on November 23.

“The field test is an internal test in an actual environment using the final AES,” said Garcia in a phone interview.

“The mock elections is a small scale of the actual elections, wherein all the participants are the actual electoral board, the board of canvassers, actual voters, but the candidates in the ballots are not the actual candidates,” he said.

For the field test, the Comelec will hold it in Basco and Ivana in Batanes, Roxas and Quezon in Palawan, San Jose De Buenavista and Hamtic in Antique, Malalag and Davao City in Davao del Sur, Bongao and Languyan in Tawi-Tawi, Kapalawan and Ligawasan in Special Geographic Area (SGA) North Cotabato, Sampaloc in Manila City, the first district of Taguig City, and Pateros.

Overseas, field tests will also be done in Tokyo, Japan; Athens, Greece; Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; and New York, United States of America.

Meanwhile, the mock polls shall be conducted in Pateros, Taguig City, Makati City, Bontoc and Sagada in Mountain Province, Antipolo and Jala-jala in Rizal, Borongan City and Lawaan in Eastern Samar, Surigao City and Placer in Surigao del Norte, Jolo and Patikul in Sulu, and Pikit and Old Kaabakan in North Cotabato.

The lone mock polls to be held overseas will be in Hong Kong.

The holding of the field tests and mock elections is part of the assessment process of the Comelec’s Technical Evaluation Committee prior to the elections.

The twin activities seek to prove that the AES is operating properly, securely, accurately, and is in accordance with the provisions of the law.