Poll watchdog receives 566 reports of electoral irregularities

Poll watchdog Vote Report PH has so far received a total of 566 reports of electoral irregularities as of Monday afternoon.

Of the total, automated counting machine (ACM) errors remain the most frequently reported issue, with 305 incidents, or 54 percent, of all verified reports.

Commonly cited problems include machine malfunctions resulting in hour-long delays, ink smudging during ballot feeding, and high scanner sensitivity leading to unintended overvotes.

Meanwhile, illegal campaigning accounts for 44 incidents, or eight percent, showing a notable increase in violations.

Disenfranchisement stands as the third most reported category, with 41 incidents, or seven percent, including issues such as a voter’s name not being present in the voter list, as well as other procedural barriers.

Red-tagging has resulted in 35 incident reports (six percent), while Board of Election Inspectors Non-Compliance follows closely with 34 reported cases, also six percent.

Other reported categories include: vote-buying (three percent), election-related violence (three percent), black propaganda (two percent), tampered ballots (two percent), and harassment of voters (two percent).