Manual counting pushed

A poll watchdog is advocating for manual counting at the precinct level before electronic transmission.

With verified incidents of electoral issues, Kontra Daya has called on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to "uphold transparency and ballot sanctity with manual counting."

Kontra Daya cited cases of “overvoting even if there were only slight smudges in the shaded circle."

"Certain voters have also complained about voter receipts showing national and local candidates they did not vote for," it said.

"As regards the party-list race, there were those who said that the voter receipt showed not the one they voted for, but the one that came before or after their preferred party-list’s number," it added.

The poll watchdog pointed out that the problems in the voting process "are not the responsibility of the voters."

"Clearly, these are the Comelec’s, which the poll body should rectify without delay so that the election’s credibility will not be compromised," Kontra Daya continued.

"Adding to the uncertainty is the sudden revision of the software version installed in automated counting machines. As suspicions remain about this and its impact on the credibility of the voting process, Comelec should urgently adopt manual counting," it further pressed.

Kontra Daya argued that manual counting "upholds the sanctity of the vote while ensuring a transparent, public tallying process and reinforcing trust in democratic elections."

"While it can slow down the process, it is better to be slow but sure instead of fast but uncertain. Comelec should not use fast turnaround time as an indicator of success when there are real problems with the current [automated counting machines]," it explained.

Kontra Daya said there is still time for the Comelec National Office to issue a directive to all Board of Electoral Inspectors and ask them to conduct manual counting before transmitting the results.

"Even if this is an additional task for them, we are confident that our hardworking teachers are more than willing to do their share to protect the sanctity of the ballot. For this effort, they should also be duly compensated."