Tens of thousands of security forces fanned out across the Philippines on May 8 on the eve of national polls, following a bitter and deadly election campaign plagued by rampant vote-buying and intimidation. / AFP PHOTO / NOEL CELIS
(EAGLE NEWS) — Today, May 9, more than 54 million Filipino voters head to the polls for the National and Local Elections. Voting starts from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., based on Commission on Elections (Comelec) Resolution No. 10088. This 2016 elections has the longest voting period in Philippine history.
It could help if you verify your precinct number first with the Comelec with its online voter verification.
https://comelec.gov.ph/?r=2016NLE/VoterVerification
Online status verification of one’s registration record is possible with the use of the Precinct Finder facility in this Site, according to the Comelec. It gives a person the capability to verify the status of his (or her) registration online — whether registered or not, whether active or not, whether with biometrics or none.
You can also bring a list or “kodigo” of whom you will vote for. In fact, Comelec has encouraged the electorate to prepare their kodigos in order to speed up the voting time.
Take note, however, of these prohibited acts while inside the polling precinct based on Section 20 of Comelec Resolutions No. 10047 and No. 10088:
- Bring the ballot, ballot secrecy folder, marking pen or voter’s receipt outside of the polling place
- Speak with anyone other than persons authorized to be inside the polling place
- Prepare his or her ballot using the ballot secrecy folder or to exhibit its contents
- Fill out his or her ballot accompanies by another, except in the case of an illiterate or person with disability
- Erase any printing from the ballot or put any distinguishing mark on the ballot
- Use capturing devices, including, but not limited to, digital cameras, or cellular phones for whatever purpose while inside the polling place
- Intentionally tear or deface the ballot
- Disrupt or attempt to disrupt the VCM’s normal operations
Once in the polling area, you will be advised to fall in line in the holding area.
You will then give your name, a valid ID, and the precinct number to the Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs). You will then get your ballot, ballot secrecy folder, marker, and go to the voting area. Make sure your ballot is clean of any marks.
Shade the entire oval corresponding to your candidate of choice. Cover your ballot using the ballot secrecy folder; even the poll watchers and BEI cannot look at your ballot. Do not make any other marks on the ballot.
You then feed your ballot into the vote-counting machine
The machine has a green check button that casts your vote and a red “X” button that returns your ballot. If you don’t press either in one second, the machine automatically casts your ballot and prints a receipt.
You then return the ballot secrecy folder and marker. Wait for your receipt to print and let the precinct supervisor cut your receipt from the machine
Do not tear or pull the voter’s receipt because it could affect the entire thermal paper roll, which may cause the vote-counting machines (VCMs) to temporarily shut down. The BEI will cut the receipt using a pair of scissors.
You will then have your right forefinger marked with indelible ink
You can now take your voter’s receipt and verify your vote
After this, you can drop the receipt in the receptacle beside the VCM provided by Comelec. You can now leave the polling precinct
Vote Counting Machines or VCMs will be used in the May 9 elections.
But what should you do if a VCM rejects your ballot?
According to the rules which can be found in the Comelec Resolution No. 10088, if a voter’s ballot is rejected by the VCM during scanning, the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI) shall allow the voter to refeed the ballot four times in four different orientations.
If the ballot is still rejected by the VCM after four tries, the BEI, through a majority vote, will decide if the voter purposely defaced the ballot. If it was found that the voter did not deface the ballot, he or she shall be entitled to one replacement ballot.
If votes in the ballot and the receipt do not match, the voter should approach the BEI and affix his or her signature at the back of the voter’s receipt. The BEI will record the incident in the minutes. The receipt will then be attached in the minutes and will not be placed inside the receptacle along with other voter’s receipts.
But the voter will not be entitled to another ballot.