Some automated counting machines (ACMs) in Central Visayas conked out due to minor technical glitches during the midterm polls Monday, but the issues were quickly resolved as they were “very negligible and manageable.”
“There were glitches, such as the ACMs optical readers accumulating dirt that resulted into the misreading of the ballots. So, the teachers immediately resorted to remedial measures with the consent of all the stakeholders, including the poll watchers,” Commission on Elections (Comelec)-7 Director Francisco Pobe said in a briefing here.
Pobe also reported a number of incidents involving misdelivered ballots in various Cebu municipalities. These included 19 ballots from Bantayan Island intended for Balamban; 20 ballots for Argao mistakenly delivered to Aloguinsan; 42 ballots from Candijay, Bohol, intended for Cebu’s second district; and 102 misdelivered to Tambogon, San Remigio, instead of Barangay Lambason, San Remigio.
Also, some 319 ballots in Tabuelan were still under verification, while 44 ballots in Mandaue City do not have a second page.
Pobe also reported an unusual case of a misdirected box of ballots intended for Tuburan, San Fernando (Cebu), but delivered to Naawan, Misamis Oriental, but confirmed that all ballots within Cebu were accounted for.
He said they are coordinating with local election officers and law enforcement personnel to rectify the logistical errors.
“Under the probable statistical probability, there isn’t really a 100 percent voting percentage in a precinct or clustered precinct. So, if we’re going to take the example of 19 ballots, chances are they really won’t affect things much,” he said.
Pobe expressed optimism about voter turnout, projecting a potential 80 to 85 percent participation rate, fueled by enthusiasm for the new voting machines and a highly competitive political landscape.
On campaign materials, the Comelec official reminded all parties and candidates of the resolution mandating the removal of campaign propaganda within five days after the elections. (PNA)