The Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced that the Random Manual Audit (RMA) for the May 12 midterm elections will begin on Wednesday at Citadines Bay City Manila in Pasay City.
Comelec Education and Information Department Director Abigail Claire Llacuna said the audit will cover 762 clustered precincts and online voting posts. The goal is to complete the process within 45 days.
The RMA involves manually checking ballots to verify the accuracy of vote-counting machines (VCMs). It includes votes for senators, party-list groups, congressional representatives, and mayors.
Under Section 29 of the Automated Election System (AES) Act, the Comelec is mandated to conduct an RMA in one precinct per congressional district where the AES is used.
The RMA Committee is composed of representatives from Comelec, the Department of Education, Philippine Statistics Authority, Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections, Legal Network for Truthful Elections, and the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Comelec Chairperson George Garcia noted that since 2010, the RMA has consistently yielded a 99.9 percent match between manual and automated results.