ELECTION BRIEFING

VCM – VOTE COUNTING MACHINE PAPER BASED VOTING TECHNOLOGY – ONE VCM PER

CLUSTERED PRECINCT PRECINCT INFORMATION PROGRAMMED INTO MACHINE:

LOCATION, No. OF VOTERS ETC VOTER PERSONALLY FEEDS THE BALLOT INTO MACHINE:

BALLOT CAN BE FED IN ANY ORIENTATION

BALLOTS ARE SCANNED BOTH SIDES SIMULATENOUSLY

EACH BALLOT IS SHIPPED WITH BATTERY TO PROVIDE FOR AT LEAST 14HOURS OF CONTINUOUS USE

BALLOTS ARE IDENTIFIED BY THE MACHINE AND ARE REJECTED IF FAKE/PHOTOCOPY/DUPLICATE; PREVIOUSLY SCANNED OR INSERTED; FOR ANOTHER PRECINCT; AND CONTAINS AMBIGUOUS MARKS

BALLOT’S SECURITY FEATURES:1. IRREGULAR-SIZE2. BAR CODE – Every Barcode and Ballot is unique3. TIMING MARKS4. COMELEC UV INK5. NPO SECURITY MARKINGS

!!! UN-USED BALLOTS CAN BE ENTERED BY ANY PERSON.- THE PEOPLE/WATCHERS SHOULD GUARD THE VCM

UNTIL IT IS OFFICIALLY CLOSED.

WATCHERS: SEC 3, ART 2 OF COMELEC RESOLUTION 10057

EACH CANDIDATE, DULY REGISTED POLITICAL PARTY, OR COALITION

OF POLITICAL PARTIES, ASSOCIATIONS OR ORGANZATIONS

PARTICIPATING IN THE PARTY-LIST SYSTEM, AND DULY ACCREDITED

CITIZEN’S ARM, MAY APPOINT IN EVERY POLLING PLACE TWO

WATCHERS WHO SHALL SERVE ALTENATELY.

QUALIFICATIONS OF WATCHERS: SEC 4, ART 2 OF COMELEC RESOLUTION 10057

No person shall be appointed unless her or she:1. Is a registered voter of the city/municipality where he is

assigned;2. Is of good moral character;3. Has not been convicted of any election offense or of any

crime;4. Knows how to read and write Filipino, English or the

prevailing local dialect;5. Is not related within fourth civil degree of consanguinity

or affinity to the Chairman or any other member of the BEI in the polling place where he or she seeks appointment as watcher

RIGHTS OF WATCHERS: SEC 5, ART 2 OF COMELEC RESOLUTION 10057

1. Stay in the space reserved for them inside the polling place;

2. Witness and inform themselves of the proceedings of the BEI;

3. Take note of what they may see or hear;4. Take photographs of the proceedings during the

testing and the sealing of the VCM and the voting and the counting, the transmission of the election results, as well as of the printed election returns of the ballot box, provided that the secrecy of the ballot box shall be maintained at all times;

5. File a protest against any irregularity or violation of law which they believe may have been

committed by the BEI or by any person present;

6. Obtain from the BEI a certificate as to the filling of the protest and/or to the resolution

thereof;

7. Position themselves behind the Chairman of the BEI in such a way that they car read the election returns while the Chairman is publicly

announcing the precinct results.

OBLIGATIONS OF WATCHERS: SEC 5, ART 2 OF COMELEC RESOLUTION 10057

1. Upon entering into the polling place, the watchers shall present to the Chairman of the BEI their appointment as watchers, and their names shall be recorded in the Minutes with a notation under their signatures that they are not disqualified to serve as such;

2. Watchers are not allowed to speak to any member of the BEI or to any voter, or among themselves, in a manner that would disrupt the proceedings of the BEI;

3. The watchers representing the dominant majority and dominant minority parties, and the PPCRV, shall if available, affix their signatures and thumb marks on the election returns.

!The appointments of the watchers shall bear the signature of the candidate or the duly authorized representative of the party, organization, or coalition of parties that appointed them.

!At least 15 days before the Election day, independent candidates and the duly registered parties, organizations or coalitions shall provide the Election Officers concerned with the names and signatures of their representatives authorized to appoint watchers in the city or municipality of the polling place.

CHALLENGE BASED ON ILLEGAL ACTS:Any voter or watcher may challenge any person offering to vote on the ground that he or she:1. Received, or expects to receive, paid, offered or

promised to pay, contributed, offered or promised to contribute money or anything of value as consideration for his vote or for the vote of another;

2. Made or received a promise to influence the giving or withholding of any such vote; or

3. Made a bet or is interested directly or indirectly in a bet that depends upon the results of the election

- In such cases, the challenged voter may take an oath before the BEI that he or she has not committed any acts alleged.

DATE AND TIME OF VOTING:Election Day: May 9, 2016Time: 7AM to 5PM

- Voters who have not cast their votes but are within 30 meters from the polling place by 5PM shall still be allowed to cast their vote.

- The voters listed shall be called to vote by the poll clerck by announcing each name 3 times in the order in which they are listed.

- Any voter in the list who is not present or does not respond when called shall no longer be allowed to vote.

PROHIBITED ACTS OF VOTING:1. Bringing the Ballot, marking pens and voter’s receipt;2. Prepare his ballot without using the secrecy folder;3. Exhibit the ballot contents;4. Speaking to other voters while voting;5. Using any communication device, cameras etc.;6. Erasing any printing from the ballot and putting any

distinguishing marks;7. Intentionally tear or deface the ballot; and8. Disrupt or attempt to disrupt the normal operation of the

VCM.

PROCEDURES FOR VOTING, COUNTING OF

VOTES AND TRANSMISSION OF

PRECINCT RESULTS:SEC 38 COMELEC RESOLUTION 10057

PRELIMINARIES TO THE VOTING: SEC 38 OF COMELEC RESOLUTION 10057

Preliminaries to the Voting:The BEI Shall:1. Meet at the polling place not later than 6:00 AM of

Election Day;2. Ensure that the VCM box and the ballot box are inside the

polling place;3. Set-up the polling place;4. Post 1 copy of the PCVL of each precinct in the cluster,

near or at the door of the polling place, preferably the pages are spread out to give free access to voters who are checking in the list, if there is space;

5. Show to the watchers and the public present that the:> VCM box is sealed;> Ballot box is empty and thereafter, lock with four

seals; and> Package of the official ballots is duly sealed and

thereafter, break the seal.

MANNER OF OBTAINING BALLOTS: SEC 39 OF COMELEC RESOLUTION 10057

A.) The Voter shall:1. Look for his/her name in the List of Voters

posted near the door of the polling place, and determine his/her precinct number and sequence number.

2.) Approach any member of the BEI or its Support Staff, if any, and state his/her name, precinct number and sequence number.

B.) The BEI or the Support Staff shall:1. Verify if the name of the voter is in the voters

list. If the voter ‘s name is not in the list, the voter shall not be allowed to vote, and shall be requested to leave the polling place.

2. If his/her name is found, his/her name shall be checked for any indelible ink stain. If stained, it shall be conclusive presumption that he/she has already cast his/her vote.

3. If the fingernail is not stained, establish the identity of the voter through his/her photograph or specimen signature in the voters list or any other authentic identification document.

4. If satisfied with his/her identity, the name of the voter shall be distinctly announced.

5. If the voter is challenged or having been challenged, the question has been decided in

his/her favor, require to sign in the voters list.

6. The voter shall be directed to the chairman who shall:

> Authenticate the ballot by affixing his/her signature.> Show to the voter that the ballot being given is not torn or smudged and has not been filled up. And place the ballot in the secrecy folder.

MANNER OF VOTING: SEC 40 OF COMELEC RESOLUTION 10057

A.) The Voter Shall:1. Using a ballot secrecy folder and the marking

pen provided by the Commission, fill his/her ballot.

2. After accomplishing his/her ballot, approach the VCM, insert his/her ballot in the ballot entry slot.

The VCM will display “Processing…” The ballot shall automatically be dropped inside the

ballot box. The VCM will then display the message “Your Vote Has Been Cast”

The VCM will display the message “Ambiguous Mark Detected” if the ovals are not properly shaded or an unintentional mark is made

3. The poll clerk/support staff shall:> Monitor, from afar, the VCM screen to ensure that

the ballot was successfully accepted;> Thereafter, whether or not the voter’s ballot was

successfully accepted, apply indelible ink to the voter’s right forefinger nail or any other nail if there be no forefinger nail; and

> Instruct the voter to return the ballot secrecy folder and marking pen, and then leave the polling place.

THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS!