TO ensure that all votes will be counted by the automated counting machines (ACMs) in the May 2025 polls, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is eyeing to bring down to 15 percent the threshold for valid ballot shades.
In a press briefing during the End-to-End Testing of the automated election system (AES), Comelec chairman George Garcia said that the Project Management Office (PMO) has recommended to bring down the shading threshold to its lowest level since the 2010 elections.
“The PMO is recommending to the Comelec en banc to accept the (shading) threshold at 15 percent. It’s not as high as 50 percent like before. The 15 percent is enough,” said Garcia.
“Although it is not yet approved, this could be the first time we would have a (shading) threshold that low,” he said.
The shading threshold during the 2022 presidential elections stood at 25 percent.
The lowest shading threshold set by the Comelec was 20 percent back in the 2010 elections.
Garcia said the PMO came up with the proposal to allow the ACMs to count as many votes cast as possible, as well as reduce the possibilities of voters getting disenfranchised.
“Always remember, the real intention of the voter should prevail. We are not supposed to suppress the intention of the voter,” he said.
In cases that the shading is less than 15 percent of the ovals, Garcia said the votes will not be counted.
“The machine will read it as no vote, at least for that particular position,” said Garcia.
On the other hand, the Comelec head said it would be better if everybody will simply shade the entire oval to avoid any confusions.
“Just shade the whole oval, not check or cross out or any other marks,” said Garcia.
Garcia also said they have shelved the proposal to use stamps, instead of marking pens, in casting votes because “stamping turned out to be very expensive so we just settled marking pens.”
He said the use of stamps maybe considered in future elections. “Should the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections become automated, we could try stamping, if ever,” he said.
The Comelec had considered last year doing away with the use of marking pen and using stamping pens in casting votes.
Meanwhile, 14 years since the introduction of the AES in the country, the Comelec announced that it is set to computerize the local absentee voting (LAV) for the May 2025 polls.
Garcia said the ACMs will be used in counting and transmitting the LAV votes.
“We want to expedite the process, but, at the same time, maintain its credibility,” said Garcia, adding that “this is the first time we will automate (the LAV).”
In the past elections, LAV ballots were manually counted, with each vote recorded by a vertical line.
For the May 2025 polls, Garcia said the LAV ballots shall be mass fed to the ACMs by the Committee on Local Absentee Voting (CLAV).
The poll chief said they would have wanted to designate an ACM in every LAV voting center but “it would be difficult to provide ACMs in every LAV voting areas.”
The LAV is a system of voting, wherein government officials and employees, members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) as well as members of the media are allowed to vote ahead of Election Day.
The LAV voters are allowed to vote for senators and party-list organizations in the May 2025 polls.
The voting under LAV shall be from April 28 to 30, 2025.
