Malacanang appeals to Comelec: Act vs overvoting
Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Thu, 16 May 2019 12:35:03 +0000
The Commission on Elections should consider taking steps, including intensified voters’ education, to prevent a repeat of the overvoting in the last elections, Malacañang said yesterday.
The appeal was made by presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo after expressing dismay with reports that more than one million overvotes were recorded in the recent midterm polls.
The ballots exceeding 12 senatorial candidates were reportedly nullified since the vote counting machines are designed not to count them.
“Ang nanghihinayang ako ay iyong 1.1 million, I think the Comelec should do something about that. Kasi, biruin mo 1.1 million hindi mo mabibilang,” Panelo said.
Panelo acknowledged these ballots could have made a difference in the poll numbers of some candidates gunning for senatorial seats.
“Kapag titingnan mo iyong mga differences doon sa mga kandidato, aba, malaking bagay iyon – mayroong malalaglag, mayroong papasok,” he said.
Panelo said the poll body probably fell short in informing the voters about the rules on ballot shading. He said they ought to step up the information campaign and possibly modernize the ballot system. (Genalyn Kabiling)