May 09, 2016 AUTOMATED ELECTIONS

REMINDER TO WATCHERS
PRE-ELECTION
1. Voter must check his/her name in the list of voters that will be printed
in the precinct where you will vote. It is the responsibility of the Board
of Election Inspectors (BEI) to post the final list of voters in each
precinct at least two (2) weeks prior to Election Day.
2. TESTING AND SEALING PROCEDURES 7 days before election
day, Vote Counting Machine (VCM) machines along with the
corresponding Storage Device Cards. The VCM will be sealed
without any connection to transmission links. Once sealed, the only
time that the VCM machines shall be opened again is on Election
Day in the presence of poll watchers. The VCM must be sealed with a
GREEN SEALING STICKER.
The public is encouraged to be vigilant in securing the
polling places where the tested and sealed VCM or
counting machines are installed and kept.
The 2 Storage Device (SD) Cards should be INSERTED
before election which copies ALL from the Main SD Card
to the Back Up SD Card while the VCM is in operation.
ELECTION DAY PROCEDURE
A. CASTING OF VOTES
1. Before voting starts, the BEIs must show that the ballot box is empty.
After turning on the VCM, the BEIs must print a Zero Initialization
Report to show that there is no entry/vote in the VCMs memory or in
the Storage Device Cards (SD Card). The BEIs must sign and affix
their thumbprints on the initialization report.

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2. Voting starts at 6:00 AM and ends at 5:00PM. If at 5:00 pm there are
still voters within thirty (30) meters in front of the polling place who
have not yet cast their votes, voting shall continue but only to allow
said voters to cast their votes without interruption. The poll clerk shall,
without delay, prepare a complete list containing the names of said
voters consecutively numbered. The voters listed shall be called to
vote by the poll clerk by announcing each name three (3) times in the
order in which they are listed. Any voter in the list who is not present
when called shall not be allowed to vote at any later time. The said
list shall be submitted to the Election Officer.
3. On the day of election, present your ID to the BEI in your assigned
precinct. If identity is verified, BEI shows the ballot to the public to
prove that it is un-marked. The BEI informs the voter that there are
instructions on the ballot itself; repeats those instructions.
4. The BEI hands to you, the voter, a ballot containing the list of
candidates in various vacant elective positions.
5. Proceed to the voting area and fills up his ballot using a COMELEC
provided marker, voter must shade the entire circle corresponding to
your choice of candidate

Proper Shading of Ballots

Okay
!
6. After filling up the ballot, proceeds to the VCM to cast your votes.
Remember, you must personally feed the ballot. The ballots can be

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fed in any orientation. Once fed, the VCM scans the front and dorsal
portions of the ballots.
How to use the VCM Machine?
a. Check the LCD Screen of the VCM and identify the number of
ballots cast;
b. Slide the ballot into the feeder of the VCM. Do not tug on the
ballot;
c. Wait for the confirmation on the screen to indicate that your
vote has been cast; check the number of ballots cast, check
also the number of ballot cast- once you voted, there should
have been an increase by one.
d. If no confirmation is shown on the screen or the ballots cast
counter did not increase by one, or increased by more than
one, immediately call the attention of the BEI.
e. A voter receipt will be printed by the VCM. This voter receipt
MUST NOT be brought outside of the polling precinct. In case
of discrepancies, the voter is to sign at the back of the Voters
Receipt and attach it to the Minutes of Voting and therein
indicated the fact of discrepancy.
7. Voter returns to the BEI for indelible inking.
8. PERSONS ALLOWED INSIDE THE POLLING PLACE:
a. Members of the BEI and support staff, if any; (At no time shall
the Support Staff be more than two (2)
b. Watchers who shall stay only in the space reserved for them;
c. Representatives of Comelec
d. Technical support staff assigned in the voting center duly
designated by the Commission who may be summoned by the
BEI in order to address some technical problems;
e. Those voters casting their votes;
f. Voters waiting for their turn to cast their vote.

9. PERSONS NOT ALLOWED INSIDE THE POLLING PLACE:

a) Any officer or member of the Armed Forces of the Philippines or
the Philippine National Police;
b) Any peace officer or any armed person belonging to any extralegal police agency, special forces, reaction forces, strike forces, Civilian
Armed Force Geographical Units, baragay tanods or other similar forces
or para-military forces, including special forces, security guards, special
policemen;
c) All other kinds of armed or unarmed extra-legal police forces;
and
d) Any barangay official, whether elected or appointed.
10. Prohibitions on Voting
a) Bringing of the ballot, ballot secrecy folder or marking pen outside
of the polling place;
b) Speaking with anyone other than as herein provided while inside
the polling place;
c) Preparing the ballot without using the ballot secrecy folder or
exhibit its contents;
d) Filling the ballot accompanied by another, except in the case of an
illiterate or person with disability/disabled voter;
e) Erasing any printing from the ballot, or putting of any distinguishing
mark on the ballot;
f) Using of carbon paper, paraffin paper or other means of making a
copy of the contents of the ballot, or otherwise making use of any other
scheme to identify his vote, including the use of digital cameras, cellular
phones with camera or similar gadgets;

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g) Intentionally tearing or defacing the ballot; and
h) Disrupting or attempting to disrupt the normal operation of the
VCM.
11. Preparation of ballots
disability/disabled voters:

for

illiterate

and

persons

with

- No voter shall be allowed to vote as illiterate or person with

disability/disabled unless such fact is indicated in the EDCVL or VRR. If so,
he may be assisted in the preparation of his ballot, by any:
a) Relative within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity and affinity;
or
b) Any person of his confidence who belongs to the same household;
or
c) Any member of the BEI.
A person with physically impaired capacity to use the AES may also
be assisted in feeding his ballot into the VCM. The assistor shall ensure
that the contents of the ballot are not displayed during the feeding of the
same into the VCM. Headphones are included in the VCM for voters who
cannot see.
All assistors must be of voting age.
No person may assist an illiterate or person with disability/disabled
voter more than three (3) times, except the members of the BEI.
In all cases, the poll clerk shall first verify from the illiterate or person
with disabil ity/disabled voter whether the latter had authorized the assistor
to help him to cast his vote.
The assistor shall, in the presence of the illiterate or person with
disability/ disabled voter, prepare the ballot using a ballot secrecy folder.

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The assistor shall bind himself in writing and under oath to fill the
ballot strictly in accordance with the instructions of the voter and not to
reveal the contents thereof, by affixing his signature in the appropriate
space in the Minutes.
B. COUNTING OF VOTES
1. At close of polls, BEI must perform close function to prevent
additional ballots from being inserted;
2. BEI must tear the unused official ballot in halves and placed in
Envelopes for the purpose. Make sure to note that this is done to
prevent their use by non-voters.
3. After close functions, VCMS automatically starts counting process
and prints eight (8) copies election returns after completion of
automated count.
4. BEIs shall then insert transmission cables and perform electronic
transmission function.
5. BEIs to print additional 22 copies of election return. This is
automatically performed by VCM after completion of transmission.
C. TRANSMISSION OF ELECTION RESULTS.
1. The WRITE PROTECT DATA must be accomplished after
successfully transmitting the election results to ALL servers. This is
an irreversible process. The VCM will then shutdown.
2. Once the VCM is turned off, the Main SD Card located in the Slot A
will be retrieved and will be placed in an envelope and will be labeled
TRANSMITTED
(for
successful
transmission)
or
NOT
TRANSMITTED (for unsuccessful transmission).
D. CANVASSING AND CONSOLIDATION OF VOTES
1. The electronically transmitted results are the one used as basis for
canvassing/consolidation and proclamation of winning candidates.

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2. Election results are transmitted to three transmission sites MBOC
or CBOC, COMELEC Central Back-up Server connected to a
Secured Public Website and Transparency Server for
Majority/Minority Parties, Citizens Arm and KBP .

Congress

COMELEC

Electronic
Transmission

National
Board of
Canvassers

Provincial
Board of
Canvasser
s

Prov. COC
SOVM/C

Municipal/Cit
y Board of
Canvassers

Comelec
Central Backup Server
Mun./City COC
SOVP

Election
Returns
Precinct

Advance Results/
Monitoring Secured

Public
Website

Server for
Dominant
Majority/
Minority Parties,
Citizens Arm,
KBP
Advance Results
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