The holding of the first National Election Summit has been moved to March, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced on Tuesday.

Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia, in a press briefing, said the poll summit was pushed back from its original schedule set on the last week of January.

“We will be meeting with our officials in the main and field offices to discuss preparations for the election summit this March,” he said.

Commissioner Nelson Celis, head of the poll summit’s organizing committee, added that the event will be held from March 8 to 10.

He noted that the decision to move the holding of the summit to be able to give way to the special elections in the seventh legislative district of Cavite on Feb. 25.

“(In order) to give way for the special elections in Cavite on February 25, we will just move by about a month,” Celis said.

He added that they have so far held 26 pre-summit activities since October 2022.

“So far, we have had discussions on the new technology that could be possibly implemented for 2025 elections, full implementation of the digital signature, and the possibility of implementing blockchain technology, among others,” Celis said.

The election summit aims to provide a platform for a national dialogue and interaction with, consultation and participation of election stakeholders in the review, formulation, or enhancement of policies, plans, and programs in election administration and electoral enforcement and adjudication.

The recommendations from the summit will be endorsed for consideration by the Comelec en banc. (PNA)