Conduct of final testing and sealing: (FTS) May 5, 2022

Conduct of final testing and sealing: (FTS) May 5, 2022

It is my first time witnessing and being part of Comelec’s final testing and sealing. Do you know what is FTS (Final Testing and Sealing)? To ensure the transparency of the election this coming May 9, 2022. This event is very significant to us Pilipino citizens.

According to Comelec Commissioner George Garcia. “To ensure that the election will be smooth the Voters counting Machine will be tested during final testing and sealing.

First, is the Comelec chair of our district explain the purpose of FTS and give us further detail about the procedure for conducting FTS. It shows that the VCM box is sealed. I remove the sticker and open it. We check the following materials inside the box

1. VCM (Vote Counting Machine)

2. Power cord of the VCM and Battery cable

3. Main SD Card and backup SD already installed

4. rolls of thermal paper

5. the checklist of the contents inside the VCM box

6. the two personal identification numbers

7. USB modem

8. 1 cleaning sheets

9. twenty marking pens

We get the VCM from its box and place it properly on the top of the ballot box. I get the battery cable and connect it to the battery itself.

It’s time to turn on the VCM, as the procedure goes we check the date and time at the top corner of the screen. If the time is incorrect we need to perform the following. The EB chairman will place the ibutton and then select the profile to authenticate the input of your EB chairperson role pin. From the election, the menu selects the utility option and changes the system date and time.

After correcting the time and date of the VCM, We perform the VCM diagnostic procedure. From the election menu select the diagnostics option then it will display the diagnostic menu scroll down and select run all.

When you press run all, it will test the VCM sounds, audio, and headphone. Then it will automatically proceed to test the cast and return buttons; then follow the instruction presented on the screen of the VCM. next is the Ethernet diagnostics followed by transmission diagnostic and printer diagnostics. Just follow the instruction on the screen of the Vote counting machine.

Then power diagnostic will follow it will tell you to unplug the power from the battery, not the power from the outlet to test its functionality. Next is the touchscreen diagnostics just press or touch each side of the screen. Another is the scanner diagnostics, ibutton diagnostic, USB port diagnostic.SD Memory Diagnostic. Lastly, it will print a Diagnostic report. Press done to go back to the Diagnostic menu.

As you done with your diagnostic, we proceed to click open voting, input pin notification and then input the chairperson pin. This time you will enter the name of the Electoral board personnel and assign its name. then it will print the initialization report attach it and place it in the a17ts folder. Then go to open voting. The VCM is now ready to accept ballots. At this time the chairperson will give 10 sample ballot requirements. They will fill up the sample ballots and let them feed to the Vote counting machine. They will repeat the process until the 10 participants finish feeding the sample ballot on the vote-counting machine.

When all the 10 sample ballots were fed to the vote-counting machine. It will proceed to the close voting where you enter the chairperson and the EB members. As we have done we proceed to close voting to be done by the poll clerk and electoral board members. Then proceed to re-zero and perform the manual counting so that it will check if there are discrepancies of the result of the counting.

Lastly, we hand in the result and put the VCM box inside its box and all the necessary things inside and seal it with an official sticker.

 We started at exactly 9:11 and finished it at 11:45 am. Overall the final testing and sealing were successfully done. The vote-counting machine was functioning well and ready for the upcoming election on May 9, 2022.

Again I would like to say thank you to all the people who help me during this event. I am so blessed and be part of this history.

//authors talks:

This is my comeback article, which I haven't written for a while. Hoping this time I'll be inspired to write more and more. To my sponsor who is always there to support me thank you so much for staying I will do everything to repay your kindness. To the people who read this, I know this writing is not yet good, but I am starting to enhance my level in writing. To Almighty God, thank you for helping me to realize and value what this platform be helpful to me and to my future venture in life. To my family and friends here I am I made a comeback article for this day. I know there is much more to catch up guys. To tell you honestly I made this article for two days and this time I have the courage to post it here.

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