The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has chosen Korean company Miru Systems to provide the vote counting machines for the 2025 midterm elections, replacing Smartmatic as the top election provider in the Philippines.
According to a statement from the Comelec dated February 22, the commission unanimously approved the bid of Miru Systems, which was the sole bidder for the P17.9 billion contract.
Smartmatic, which had been supplying the Comelec with automated voting machines for over a decade, was disqualified from participating in all public biddings and procurements for elections. This was due to an alleged bribery scheme in 2016, as stated by the Comelec.
The contract awarded to Miru Systems includes the lease of around 110,000 automated counting machines, 104,000 ballot boxes, and 2,200 canvassing system servers. The Korean firm will also provide the ballot papers and other materials needed for verifying and canvassing votes.
Miru Systems’ joint partners for the poll automation project are Integrated Computer Systems, St. Timothy Construction Corp., and Centerpoint Solutions Technologies Inc.
