A WEB

International Conference of the 7th A-WEB General Assembly: Technology, Trust and the Voter
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Election officials from around the world met in Manila on 15 October 2026 for the International Conference of the 7th A-WEB General Assembly, co-organized by A-WEB and COMELEC. COMELEC Commissioner Aimee P. Ferolino opened the day, welcoming delegates of A-WEB and the Association of Asian Election Authorities (AAEA). Presentations were given in English and Spanish, with interpretation in five languages. The sessions were moderated by Atty. Edgar Feliciano D. Aringay and Dir. Genesis M. Gatdula of COMELEC.
 

Before the vote: information under pressure

Mr. Rakesh Kumar Verma, Director General of IIIDEM of the Election Commission of India, explained that India has no stand-alone law on disinformation. Instead, it used its constitutional and electoral powers to require labelling of AI-generated campaign content, a three-hour takedown rule and disclosure of creators, leading to the removal of about 11,000 non-compliant posts. Mr. Pablo Iván Rodríguez, Director of the Electoral Political Observatory of Argentina's National Electoral Directorate (DINE), reported 31 AI-related incidents in the country's 2025 elections and called for clearer protocols and stronger digital literacy ahead of 2027. Dir. John Rex Laudiangco of COMELEC noted that voluntary agreements with 11 technology platforms have cut takedown times from about three months to 24 hours.
 

On reaching voters directly, Dr. Uuc-kib Espadas Ancona, Electoral Councilor of INE Mexico, presented the Certeza INE verification program and the WhatsApp assistant Inés, cautioning that public trust in the institution (53% in 2026) does not mean voters turn to official sources. Commissioner Anna Grigoryan of the CEC of Armenia set out a strategy of proactive communication, digital tools and accessible voter information, and Mr. Giorgi Kalandarishvili, Chairperson of the CEC of Georgia, described how the Commission met nearly half of the country's 3.5 million voters in person before introducing new voting technologies in 2024.
 

AI inside the institution

Ms. Jona Josifi, General Director of Electoral Administration at the CEC of Albania, shared the Commission's 2025 pilot of AI-assisted counting in Tepelenë, run in parallel with the legally binding manual count. Across 21 ballot boxes the system recorded 4,291 ballots against 4,293 counted by hand, but it differed on invalid ballots (102 vs. 117): detecting ballots proved easier than interpreting voter intent. A larger pilot is planned for 2027.
 

Speaking for the A-WEB Secretariat, Ms. Jinju Jo, Director of the Electoral Research and Observation Department, drew on the 2026 Summit for Democracy hosted by INE Mexico and its regional forums. AI should be introduced where it is genuinely needed; implementation can be outsourced, but decisions and responsibility cannot; and human oversight means someone who can explain, override and answer for a result in public. Mr. Mohamed Shakeel, President of the Elections Commission of the Maldives, and Ms. Tiaituau Tagata, Assistant Electoral Commissioner of Samoa, agreed that AI may support, but must not replace, human responsibility. In the plenary, IIIDEM introduced its draft global model AI strategy for EMBs, now circulated for comment.
 

Delivering and proving the results

In COMELEC's host spotlight, Atty. Helen Aguila-Flores described delivering elections across more than 7,600 islands through heat waves, typhoons and earthquakes, and paid tribute to the public school teachers who serve on electoral boards. Dr. Irena Hadžiabdić, Member of the CEC of Bosnia and Herzegovina, speaking just 11 days after the country's general election, reported its first use of biometric voter identification and ballot scanners, with full preliminary results published an hour after polls closed. She stressed that timely budgets, legislation and training are essential. Mr. Fausto Javier Von Streber Alfonzo of Paraguay's TSJE presented its preliminary results transmission system (TREP) and its electronic voting machine with a printed ballot, and Dir. John Rex Laudiangco demonstrated COMELEC's automated counting machine (ACM). Atty. Jayvee E. Villagracia and Dir. Rafael B. Olaño, Deputy Executive Director for Operations, joined as discussants from COMELEC.
 

When results are contested

Dir. Allen Francis B. Abaya of COMELEC's Electoral Contest Adjudication Department outlined the Philippine system of electoral tribunals and noted that no court has yet ruled on AI-generated evidence in an election contest. Commissioner Judge Dhayanithie Pillay of the IEC of South Africa, together with Commissioner Dr. Chelete Monyane of the IEC of Lesotho and Commissioner Harry Hazewell Kanjewe of the Malawi Electoral Commission, compared legal frameworks. They agreed that transparent processes, timely dispute resolution and continued engagement with stakeholders are what keep results accepted.
 

Looking ahead

Closing the conference, COMELEC Executive Director Atty. Teopisto E. Elnas Jr. observed that electoral systems differ but the challenges are shared, and that cooperation through A-WEB lets EMBs learn from one another. A-WEB thanks COMELEC for hosting and all speakers and participants for a day of open exchange. The Secretariat will share the outcomes of the 2026 Summit and the Asia regional forum with members when they become available.