ILOILO City – How should the Electoral Board (EB) appreciate or count a vote on the ballot?
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has made public its guidelines for this manual barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.
The EB shall observe the following rules for the appreciation of ballots, as provided for in Section 211 of Batas Pambansa Blg. 881, bearing in mind that the objective of the election is to obtain the expression of the voter’s will:
* A vote for a candidate is valid if only the first name or surname is written, provided there is no other candidate with the same first name or surname for the same office.
* If only the first name of a candidate is written on the ballot and it sounds similar to the surname of another candidate, the vote shall be counted in favor of the candidate with that surname. In cases where there are two or more candidates with the same full name, first name, or surname, and one of them is the incumbent, a ballot with only such name shall be counted in favor of the incumbent.
* In the case of a female candidate using her maiden or married surname, or both, and if there is another candidate with the same surname, a ballot bearing only such surname shall be counted in favor of the incumbent.
* When two or more words are written on the same line on the ballot, all of which are the surnames of two or more candidates, they shall not be counted for any of them unless one is a surname of an incumbent who has served for at least one year. In that case, it shall be counted in favor of the incumbent. If words are written on different lines, and there are the same number of such surnames as there are candidates, the vote shall be counted in favor of all candidates bearing the surname.
* A single word that is the first name of a candidate and at the same time the surname of an opponent shall be counted in favor of the latter.
* If two words are written on the ballot, one being the first name of a candidate and the other the surname of an opponent, the vote should not be counted for either.
* A name or surname incorrectly written but sounding similar to that of a candidate shall be counted in their favor.
* A name appearing in a space for an office for which the candidate is not running shall be considered stray, except when it appears to be an identification mark, in which case the whole ballot shall be void.
* If a name is erased and another is clearly written, the vote is valid for the latter.
* Erroneous initials accompanying the correct name of a candidate shall not annul the vote.
* The existence of a non-candidate with the same name shall not prevent the vote for a candidate with that name.
* Ballots with prefixes or suffixes are valid.
* Nicknames and appellations, if accompanied by the candidate’s name, do not annul the vote, except when used for identification.
* Initials only, illegible names, or insufficient identification shall be considered stray but won’t invalidate the ballot.
* Correct first names with different surnames, or vice versa, shall not be counted for any candidate.
* Ballots written with crayon, lead pencil, or ink are valid.
* Over-voting in a single-seat office will invalidate the vote for that office.
* If more candidates are voted for than positions available, only the first names up to the authorized number will be counted.
* Votes for non-candidates or for a candidate in an unintended office are considered stray but won’t invalidate the ballot.
* Ballots with pasted or mechanically affixed names are void.
* Marks indicating non-voting shall not invalidate the ballot.
* Commas, dots, lines, or unintentional marks won’t invalidate the ballot unless they are deliberate identification marks.
* A ballot filled out by two distinct persons is void.
Atty. Reinier Layson, Provincial Election Supervisor and concurrent Iloilo City Election Officer, said EBs underwent training to ensure voters’ intentions are accurately reflected in the counting.
“We taught them how to apply these rules in different situations during the counting of ballots. The most important rule in appreciating a ballot is to ascertain the voter’s intent, as we want their actual choice to be counted,” Layson said.
At the same time, Layson urged voters to write candidates’ names legibly.
He added that voters aged 15 to 17 get one ballot for SK; those aged 18 to 30 get two ballots — one for SK and one for barangay; and those 31 and older get one ballot for the barangay election.
“The ballots are color-coded: red for SK and black for the barangay,” Layson said.
With manual elections, Layson also encouraged voters to prepare and bring a kodigo or guide list of candidates for a faster voting process. Voting hours begin at 7 a.m. and end at 3 p.m.
If there is still a long line of waiting voters by 3 p.m., the poll clerk will record the names of voters within a 30-meter radius from the polling precinct and assign them sequence numbers. Voters will be called by name three times to enter the precinct. If a voter doesn’t respond, they won’t be permitted to vote later.
Those arriving after 3 p.m. who aren’t on the poll clerk’s list will be turned away. Otherwise, if there are no more voters at a precinct by 3 p.m., the electoral boards can declare voting closed and begin the manual vote count./PN