Frequently asked questions

MANILA, Philippines - In the process of conducting election-related talks and seminars and while writing articles for this series, several common questions are frequently asked.

1. How long will it take for each voter to cast his vote?  Given that voters are clustered in groups of 1,000 per clustered precinct, will there be enough time to process all voters from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.?

In mock elections conducted, the average time it took to vote was 6 to 7.2. minutes for younger voters and 10 to 12 minutes for older ones. This covers the entire process from searching for one’s name in the Posted Computerized Voters List to the time one’s forefinger is marked with indelible ink.

A lot of the time is taken up by the verification of the voter’s identity. To cope with the number of voters,  precincts with 1,000 voters will have five Board of Election Inspectors who can simultaneously verify and process voters. It is also important to note that not all clustered precincts have 1,000 voters. Around 12,000 out  of 76,000 clustered precincts, or 16 percent of the entire country, would have 1,000 voters in their clustered precincts.

2. What if I vote less than the required number of candidiates, will my votes be counted?

Yes, your votes will be counted if you undervote.  What is important is not to overvote.  If one overvotes, the votes for the position for which one overvotes will not be counted. Votes for  other positions will still be counted as long as they do not represent an overvote.

As an example, if we vote 13 in stead of the maximum number of 12 senators, the PCOS machine will not be able to discern which 12 candidates a voter had intended to select.  Since it cannot be certain about this, the PCOS machine will not count the entire section for senators.

3. What will I use to mark the ballot?  A pencil or a ballpen?

Neither.  The voter will be handed a marker along with the ballot.  This is the marker which will be used to mark the ballot. 

The marker must be returned after the vote has been cast. It is an election offense not to do so.

4.  I do not know anything about computers; how can I be expected to use the machine properly?

A knowledge of computers is not necessary. In order to vote, a voter needs to manually fill out the ballot by shading the oval beside the name of your candidate of choice. The only time the voter will interact with the machine is when the voter inserts the ballot in the PCOS machine. There are no buttons to press; all the voter has to do is to feed the ballot into the slot in the PCOS machine.  ?

5. Is there a way to find my precinct and polling center beforehand?

Log on to www.comelec.gov.ph and double click the Registration Finder. Type in your name and your status, polling center name, address and your precinct will be shown.

6. If I make a mistake , can I cross it out?  Can I ask for another ballot?

The X mark in crossing out an error may be read by the PCOS machine as a vote. It is advisable to make a list of one’s selected candidates at home so that one comes prepared to the polling center. 

There is ONLY ONE ballot per voter. You cannot get another ballot if you make a mistake.

7. Until what time can I vote?

Voting will end at 6 p.m.  If you are within 30 meters of the polling center at 6 p.m. your name will be recorded.  Voters whose names are recorded at this time will be allowed to finish voting.

It is advisable to vote early (voting starts at 7 a.m.) to avoid crowds and to avoid congesting the polling center and precincts.

8. What do I have to do to prove my identity when I am being verified by the Board of Election of Inspectors?

Show a valid I.D. with a photo. Barangay certifications and Community Tax Certificates are not considered valid IDs. 

9. How large is the ballot and what security measures are embedded in it?

The ballot is 25 inches long and 8.5 inches wide (with the exception of ARMM’s ballot which is a few inches longer).