The Commission on Elections (Comelec) plans to begin preparing for the 2028 presidential election as early as 2026, according to Chairperson George Garcia who stated this on Monday.
"In 2026, it will serve as the year for research and development. Preparing for an election must take two years; it shouldn't just be one year," Garcia said during an unexpected press conference.
"We will emphasize not just our budget, but also, with proper respect, with our Executive Branch and Congress," he added.
Garcia mentioned that 2026 will focus on preparing the guidelines and contracts for vendors involved in the 2028 elections.
"That's likely all prior to procurement. Once procurement begins, things will be well-organized. Therefore, by the beginning of 2027, there could be an initial delivery of the machines, perhaps the first 100," Garcia said.
(It might be all things needed prior to purchasing to make sure everything is set. Therefore, at the beginning of 2027, the equipment will start arriving, likely the initial 100 units.)
He mentioned that this would provide COMELEC with enough time to evaluate the devices and implement necessary modifications.
The Comelec is also considering the suggestions from the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), which involve reintroducing the concept of... 25% shading threshold at using a stamper pen.
Nevertheless, Garcia mentioned that it cannot be applied for the 2025 Bangsamoro Parliament elections.
"I completely agree with the 25% shade threshold," but "no, we can't apply it for the BARMM elections since the law states that these are an extension of the national and local elections. So whatever we did before will be what we do again, at least regarding the system, hardware, and software," Garcia stated.
(I completely support the 25% shade limit, however, we can't apply it for the BARMM elections since the law states that these elections are an extension of the national and local polls; therefore, we will continue using the same procedures, systems, equipment, and software as before.)
The PPCRV previously suggested reinstating the 25% shade limit for future elections, following reports of discrepancies between real vote counts and those shown on automated count machine records. —RF, GMA Integrated News
This article Commission on Elections preparing for the 2028 presidential elections in 2026 was originally published in GMA News Online .