Marcos encounters glitch; Sara wears black to vote

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was among the early voters in Ilocos Norte on Monday, though not without a brief hiccup. His first attempt to feed his ballot into the Automated Counting Machine (ACM) was unsuccessful, prompting quick assistance from poll officials. On the second try, the machine accepted his ballot, and the President completed the voting process.

Marcos cast his vote at Mariano Marcos Elementary School in Batac, Ilocos Norte at 7:06 a.m., joined by his mother, former First Lady Imelda Marcos, and his sister, Irene Marcos.

Meanwhile, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and the couple’s other sons—Simon, Vincent, and Rep. Sandro—voted separately at Calayab Elementary School in Laoag City. The Marcos family, known for wearing red during the campaign season, arrived in their signature color, reinforcing their political presence in the region.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) explained that ballots may be rejected by ACMs due to stray marks, overvoting, or physical damage. Voters were reminded to double-check their ballots and report any issues. A replacement ballot may be issued if the problem is due to machine error—but not if the voter caused the issue.

After voting, the Marcos family made a brief stop at the Immaculate Conception Parish Church in Batac before heading home. President Marcos returned to Manila later that morning to monitor the elections from Malacañang.

In Davao City, Vice President Sara Duterte arrived at Daniel R. Aguinaldo National High School past 8 a.m. wearing a black polo shirt, and voted at cluster precinct number 352.