The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has opened nominations for sectoral representatives to the Commission on Elections Advisory Council (CAC) as preparations begin for the 2026 Bangsamoro parliamentary polls and the 2028 national elections.
The advisory body is expected to reconvene ahead of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Parliamentary Elections in September 2026 and the 2028 National and Local Elections.
Created under the Automated Election System Law or Republic Act No. 8436, as amended by Republic Act No. 9369, the CAC is tasked with recommending appropriate and cost-effective technologies for the country’s automated election system.
DICT Secretary Henry Aguda, who also serves as CAC chairperson, emphasized the council’s role in protecting the integrity of Philippine elections through credible technology recommendations.
“The mandate of the CAC is to help ensure free, honest, peaceful, and credible elections through sound and reliable election technology recommendations,” Aguda said.
“Essentially, our role is to help safeguard one of our most sacred democratic rights – the right to vote,” he added.
Under the law, the DICT secretary chairs the council, while representatives from the Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Education serve as members.
The CAC also includes representatives from the academe, nongovernmental electoral reform organizations, and information and communications technology (ICT) professional groups.
As part of the council’s reactivation, the DICT is inviting Philippine-based academic institutions, ICT organizations, and electoral reform groups to submit nominations for membership.
Aguda said early reconvening of the council would help strengthen preparations for upcoming electoral exercises and boost public confidence in election systems.
“Technology plays a crucial role not only in improving efficiency in the electoral process, but also in strengthening public trust in our democratic institutions,” he said.
Aside from recommending election technologies, the CAC also participates as a non-voting member in the Bids and Awards Committee proceedings related to the automated election system.
The council likewise provides technical advice during the planning, testing, implementation, and evaluation of election automation projects.
By law, the CAC is automatically dissolved six months after the completion of election canvassing.