Several voters have complained about malfunctioning vote counting machines (VCM) that have caused a series of problems and setbacks in several polling precincts across the country during today’s midterm elections.
Voters took to social media to vent their frustration over the said inconvenience.
VCM still has not worked. Watchers are telling people that they can shade their ballots and leave as watchers will cast their ballots later when machine is fixed. NOPE I WANT TO SEE MY RECEIPT
— dante thunderstone | OUST DUTERTE (@rainbart) May 13, 2019
VCM on my polling precint isn't working#Eleksyon2019
— maritesybañez (@maritesybaez1) May 13, 2019
Voters at Pitogo Elem school, precinct 1099A, 1099B are experiencing delay as the Vote Counting Machines malfunctioned; they were thus commanded to leave their ballots and were told that there will just be entered when a new VCM arrive. (ETA of replacement is unsure) #KontraDaya
— Jose Mari Callueng (@thejoncallueng) May 13, 2019
Elections here in Barangay Kalaan, Municipality of Buldon, Maguindanao was delayed for more than an hour because of a defective VCM. #Halalan2019 pic.twitter.com/Ku7IcGI31l
— Khaleesi Ka Soho (@treeeng) May 13, 2019
Mga Vote Counting Machine sa San Mateo National High School sa Rizal, nagkaroon ng paper jam; Mga botante, nagrereklamo na sa haba ng pila I @dzbb pic.twitter.com/pTMIyFGi8z
— Mark Makalalad (@MMakalalad) May 12, 2019
One particular netizen named Stephanie Tang even said in a now viral Facebook post that precinct officers have asked them to leave their ballots because the machines aren’t working.
“The voting machines in our precinct aren’t working, so the precinct officers instructed us to cast our votes but leave the ballots with them. This means we cannot witness our ballots being fed into the machine; otherwise, we have to wait until 6pm for COMELEC to replace the machines. Is this even legal?” she said.
Tang did not disclose in her post where she cast her vote but said that voters were only asked to write their names on a paper labeled “list of received ballots” before leaving.
Netizens flooded the comments section of Tang’s post saying they had the same experience in their own precincts.
DZMM also reported that in Rizal High School in Pasig City, a VCM machine konked out in one of the clustered precincts.
Voter Allen Bustamente said they were told to leave behind their shaded ballots.
Vote counting machine sa isang clustered precinct sa Rizal High School sa Pasig, nagkaaberya. Ayon sa botanteng si Allen Bustamante, pinaiwan na lang ang kanilang balota. | via @zhandercayabyab #Halalan2019 #HalalanAberya pic.twitter.com/qnHPQrtVMj
— DZMM TeleRadyo (@DZMMTeleRadyo) May 13, 2019
Even politicians, celebrities, and other well-known personalities were not spared from the said glitch.
NOW: Pasig mayoral candidate Vico Sotto is back at Valle Verde 5 to vote after the VCM malfunctioned earlier. He says his poll watchers have reported 35 VCMs in the city with glitches, but that Comelec has not responded to his concerns all morning. pic.twitter.com/qsrlZIFX6x
— Matthew Reysio-Cruz (@MatthewINQ) May 13, 2019
Isko Moreno arrives at Manuel L Quezon Elementary School to vote but the vote counting machine (VCM) at precinct 0257A, 0258A-B-C has malfunctioned, delaying the polling process pic.twitter.com/d1jdQ2OikJ
— Aie Balagtas See (@AieBalagtasSee) May 13, 2019
JUST IN: Ex-VP Jejomar Binay was NOT able to vote after his ballot was not repeatedly accepted by the VCM. He plans to go to main Comelec office to complain: “Galit ako! Galit ako! Bakit nadisenfranchise ang boto ko?” #PHVote pic.twitter.com/9IOjW6JxgD
— Mara Cepeda (@maracepeda) May 12, 2019
The VCM at Makati mayor Abby Binay’s precint malfunctioned one hour after the polls opened. #Halalan2019 pic.twitter.com/WEesXJi3hO
— Michael (@rollyoaks) May 12, 2019
I’m flying to CEBU CITY to vote and support my Tito Mike Rama for Vice Mayor & my cousin, Edu Rama, for councilor. And guess what?? The VCM machine in several Cebu precincts are not working. ??I’ve been reading that this is happening everywhere. Sad. #ElectionDay #Election2019
— Ruffa Gutierrez (@iloveruffag) May 13, 2019
Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said the poll body has allotted only one ballot per voter.
The ballot needs to be inserted four times inside the VCM before it will be declared spoiled ballot.
If the problem is the VCM itself, the Board of Election Inspector should request for a replacement. But if the problem is isolated to one or two ballots only, then the problem is presumably not the VCM, he said in an interview.
