MAY 9, 2016

AUTOMATED
NATIONAL AND LOCAL ELECTIONS

POLL WATCHERS TRAINING

(COMELEC RESOLUTION NO. 10057

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ELECTION DAY: MAY 9,

2016
VOTING HOURS: 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM
WHERE: Polling Place designated by
the COMELEC
Check your name at the PCVL
indicating the clustered precinct
number
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THE AUTOMATED ELECTIONS

SYSTEM
a system using appropriate technology which
has been demonstrated in the
voting,
counting,
consolidating,
canvassing,
and transmission of election results,
and other electoral processes;
First used during the 2010 National and Local
Elections (RA 9369 Automated Elections Law)
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VOTE COUNTING
MACHINE

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VCM COMPONENTS

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THE ELECTION
PROCESS
(PROSESO NG
PAGBOTO)

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BOARD OF ELECTION INSPECTORS (BEI)*

Each precinct must have a BEI

Composed of:
Chairman public school teacher
2 members public school teachers
At least one member must be ITcapable
(*Comelec Resolution 9640)
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Qualifications and
disqualifications
Good moral character
Registered voter C/M
Has not been
convicted of any
election offense/any
crime (>6 mos.
Imprisonment)
No pending case for
election offense
Able to speak, read
and write local dialect

BEI or spouse related

within 4th degree of
consanguinity and
affinity to:
any member of same
BEI;
any candidate;
or, spouse of a
candidate
VIOLATION =
ELECTION
OFFENSE!!!

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POWERS OF THE BEI

1. Conduct voting, testing and sealing of PCOS
machine
2. Print ERs & transmit them electronically
3. Act as deputies of COMELEC on election day
4. Maintain order & keep access to polling
places, enforce obedience, prohibit use of
camera/electronic devices, order arrest of a
person who refuses to obey
5. Provide copies of certificates of votes to
poll watchers
6. Perform other functions as prescribed by
law/COMELEC rules
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PROCEEDINGS OF THE
BEI
1. Public and held in the polling place
2. Shall act thru the Chairman, decide
by majority vote
BEI members registered in another
precinct may vote in the precinct where
they are registered, provided: voting in
their assigned precinct is LIGHT, return
after 20 mins, and only 1 can leave at
one time
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VOTING

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WHO MAY VOTE?

ALL REGISTERED VOTERS whose
names appear in the EDCVL
(Election Day Computerized Voters
List)
Unless:
1. Voter transferred to another
district/municipality/city
2. Voter has died
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CHALLENGE AGAINST ILLEGAL

VOTER
Any VOTER or WATCHER may challenge
those:
1. Not registered
2. Using the name of another
3. Suffering from any disqualification
. BEI may require proof of identity or
qualification (picture, fingerprint, specimen
signature), or BEI may identify under oath
. BEI shall record all challenges in the Minutes
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PERSONS ALLOWED INSIDE

THE POLLING PLACE
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

BEI and support staff

Watchers but only in their space
COMELEC representatives
Technical support assigned in the voting
center
Voters CASTING their votes
Voters WAITING to cast their votes
Jail/prison escorts of detainee-voters
Others specially authorized by COMELEC
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PERSONS NOT ALLOWED

INSIDE THE POLLING PLACE
AND WITHIN 5O-METER
RADIUS

1. AFP/PNP officer/member
2. Peace officer/armed person (extralegal
forces, CAFGU, tanods, security guards)
3. All other kinds of armed/unarmed
extralegal forces
4. ANY BARANGAY OFFICIAL elected/appointed
. BEI may order in writing the detail of PNP for the its
protection/the voting, but must stay OUTSIDE of polling place
just near enough to be called; must be entered in the Minutes

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PROHIBITION ON
VOTING
1. Bring the ballot, secrecy folder, or marking
pen outside polling place
2. Speak w/ anyone
3. Prepare his ballot without using ballot
secrecy folder/exhibit its contents
4. Fill his ballot accompanied by another
except illiterates/PWD
5. Erase/put distinguishing marks in the ballot
6. Use camera, cellphones to copy
7. Tear/deface the ballot
8. Disrupt/attempt to disrupt the VCM
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Preliminaries to the
voting
The BEI shall:

Meet at the polling placenot later than 6:00 in the

morning of Election Day.
Ensure that the VCM box and the ballot box are
inside the polling place.
Set-up the polling place.
Post one (1) copy of the PCVL of each precinct in the
cluster, near or at the door of the polling place, preferably
the pages/sheets are spread out to give free access to
voters who are checking their names in the list, if there is
space.
Show to the watchers and the public present that
the:
VCM box is sealed;
Ballot box is empty and thereafter, lock with four
(4) seals; and2016 NLE POLLWATCHER'S
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Remove the paper seal of the VCM box;

Open the VCM box.
Check whether the following are inside the VCM box:
VCM;
Power cord of the VCM and battery cable;
Main SD and back-up SD cards already installed;
Remaining rolls of thermal paper inside the VCM box;
Ziplock number "1" containing the three (3) Personal
Identification Numbers (PINs) for operating the VCM; three
(3) PINs for the digital signature; the three (3) iButtons; and
three (3) PINs for re-zeroing;
Ziplock number "2" containing the checklist of the contents
of the VCM box;
Ziplock number "3" containing the USB modem with SIM
card and one (1) contingency SIM card (Smart/Globe/Sun);
Ziplock number "4" containing five (5) cleaning sheets;
Twenty-Four (24) Marking Pens; and
One (1) yellow sealing sticker to be used at the end of
Election Day to close the VCM box.
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 Retrieve the iButtons and security PINs from the VCM box and
distribute the same among themselves. The RE-ZERO PINs
shall remain inside the VCM box.
Retrieve the VCM from its box.
Show to the public that the slots labeled "A" and "B" containing
the main SD and back-up SD cards, respectively, are sealed.
Place the VCM properly on top of the ballot box.
Open the thermal paper printer cover and ensure that a roll of
official thermal paper is installed.
Close the thermal paper printer cover.
Connect the power adaptor to the VCM AC powerport (220
VAC) and plug the other end to the electrical outlet.
Connect the battery to the VCM DC power port (12 VDC).
Turn on the VCM.
Follow the procedures laid down in Part II, Sec. 33 (q) to (z),
except (s) [Diagnostic Procedure].

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CASTING OF BALLOT (video)

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PROCEDURE
1. First come, first served = vote according to
order of arrival, 7AM to 5PM
2. Those w/in 30 meters from the polling place
by 5pm shall still be allowed to vote
3. WATCHERS shall not enter the place reserved
for the BEI and the voters, nor talk to the BEI
4. No firearms allowed, except jail/prison
escorts to secure detainee voter
5. No crowding of voters/disorderly behavior
6. Ballot box shall remain locked
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MANNER OF OBTAINING
BALLOTS
VOTER shall:
1. Look for his name in the PCVL near the door, determine precinct and
sequence nos.
2. Approach BEI, state his name, precinct and sequence nos.
BEI/support staff shall:
3. Verify if name of voter is in the EDVCL
4. If name found, check for indelible ink stain. If stained, it shall be
conclusive presumption that voter already voted
5. If not stained, establish voters identity (picture, signature, identification)
6. Announce voters name loud enough to be heard
7. Direct the voter to sign EDVCL
8. Authenticate the ballot, failure of chairman to do so constitutes an
election offense
9. Show voter that ballot has not been filled up, not smudged, place ballot
in the folder, give it and the marking pen to voter
10.ONLY the Chairman shall issue the official ballots
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MANNER OF VOTING
VOTER shall:
1. Using the marking pen provided and the
secrecy folder, shade the oval of desired
candidate/s or party
2. Approach the VCM, insert ballot in the ballot
entry slot,
3. The VCM will display PROCESSING /
PAKIHINTAY KASALUKUYANG PINOPROSESO
4. The ballot shall automatically be dropped
inside the ballot box w/ VCM display YOUR
VOTE HAS BEEN CAST/ANG IYONG BOTO AY
NAISAMA NA
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5. If ovals not properly

shaded/unintentional mark is made,
display will show:
AMBIGUOUS MARK DETECTED /
MAY MALABONG MARKA SA
BALOTA.
Options that can be seen on the
display:
1. TO CAST BALLOT PRESS / PARA
IPASOK ANG BALOTA, PINDUTIN
2. TO RETURN BALLOT PRESS / IBALIK
ANG BALOTA, PINDUTIN ballot will
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PREPARATION OF BALLOTS
FOR ILLITERATE
May be assisted by:
Relative w/in 4th degree of consanguinity/affinity
Any person of his confidence w/in same
household
BEI member
Who may assist in feeding ballot to PCOS:
3rd member/support staff,
Illiterate, PWD and Senior who may need the use
of headphones BEI shall insert the headphones
All assistors must be of voting age.
Express lanes for PWDs, senior citizens, escorted detainees, heavily
pregnant women
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PROCEDURE FOR REJECTED BALLOTS

MISREAD BALLOT
VCM message:
THE BALLOT COULD
NOT BE READ / HINDI
MABASA ANG BALOTA
PLEASE VERIFY
BALLOT AND REFEED

PREVIOUSLY READ
BALLOT

INVALID BALLOT

BALLOT PREVIOUSLY
SCANNED / ANG
BALOTANG ITO AY
NABASA NA

INVALID BALLOT
DETECTED / MALING
BALOTA ANG NAKITA

RETURN BALLOT,
PRESS / PARA IBALIK
ANG BALOTA,
PINDUTIN press

PLEASE MAKE SURE

THAT YOU RECEIVED
THE CORRECT
BALLOT

TO DIVERT BALLOT /
PARA IPASOK ANG
BALOTA, PINDUTIN
No replacement ballot No replacement ballot Replacement ballot
issued
Rejected ballots shall be diverted to the rejected bin of the ballot box.
The VCM will display: TO
DIVERT
BALLOT IN REJECTED BIN PRESS then
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press

POLL
WATCHING:
RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF
POLL WATCHERS

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POLL WATCHERS
2 watchers = per party or candidate if
independent, alternately, Party List
1 watcher = per Senator, SP or SB or
ARMM assembly, belonging to the same
party or coalition
2 watchers = duly accredited citizens
arms
1 watcher = other civil groups
If not all can be accommodated inside
polling place, priority shall be given to
watchers of dominant minority, dominant
majority, citizens arm (PPCRV closest to
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BEI)
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QUALIFICATIONS OF
WATCHERS
1. Registered voter of the city/municipality
2. Good reputation
3. Must not have been convicted by final
judgment of any election offense/other
crime
4. Knows how to read & write Filipino,
English or prevailing local dialect
5. Not related w/in 4th degree of
consanguinity/affinity to BEI where he
seeks appointment as a watcher
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IN THE MORNING OF
ELECTION DAY,
POLLWATCHERS MUST:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Present to BEI Chairman their LETTER OF AUTHORITY OR

APPOINTMENT as watchers, names recorded in Minutes.
Appointments must bear signature of the candidate/authorized
rep of the party
Bring your credentials and other paraphernalia on ElectionDay
to your assigned Polling Place.
15 days before election day, independent
candidates/parties/coalitions shall provide the EO with names of
watchers

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A POLL WATCHER'S KIT

SHOULD CONTAIN:
1. ID card issued by the
candidate/party
2. Letter of Appointment issued by the
candidate/party
3. Copy of CVL for his assigned
precinct
4. Ballpen, notebook, protest form
5. Cellphone and/or camera
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1.
2.

DUTIES BEFORE VOTING

STARTS
Be at the assigned as 5:30 a.m.
Bring your credentials and other paraphernalia:

Authorization/Appointment as Poll Watcher

Identification Card,
Ball Pen, Notebook,
Cellphone, Camera, Flashlight

3. Present one (1) copy of Authorization/Appointment to the

Chairman of BEI.
4. Sign in the Minutes.
5. Observe the Pre-Voting procedures done by the BEI. Check PCVL
and compare with your copy.
6. Stay at the place designated for poll watchers.
7. Document the proceedings and take down notes, as necessary.
Note down the following:

Ballot box number

Serial numbers of the official ballots
Number of ballots manually counted by the BEI Chairman
Serial number of the self-locking fixed-length seal
Serial number of seal used in the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) box
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DUTIES OF THE WATCHERS

DURING VOTING
1.

2.

3.
4.

Stay in the space provided and make sure that there is a

full or unimpeded view of the following:
a. Table where election proceedings are being conducted
b. Election Day Computerized Voters List (EDCVL)
c. PCOS.
Witness and inform themselves of BEI proceedings; take
note of what may be seen/heard; take photos of the VCMs
and incidents during the testing and sealing, voting,
counting of votes, printing of ERs and the ballot box
File a protest against any irregularity/violation of the BEI
or any person and obtain from the BEI as to the filing of
protest and the resolution
Position themselves behind the chairman of the BEI in
such a way that they can read the ERs while the chairman
is publicly announcing the precinct results.
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6.

Watchers representing the dominant minority and

dominant majority parties shall affix their signatures and
thumbmarks in the ERs
7. Observe during the Random Manual Audit
8. Make sure that all incidents are recorded in the Minutes of
Voting and Counting.
9. Demand the exclusion from the polling place of persons
not allowed inside.
10. Make sure that the indelible ink is applied on every
voters right index fingernail after the voter returns the
ballot secrecy.

Photo credits to jobaraccudas

Flickr photo stream
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6.
7.

8.
9.

In case of an illiterate or disabled voter, ask the BEI

Chairman to verify from the EDCVL if the voter is
registered as an illiterate or physically disabled.
Keep track of the number of voters who have cast their
votes. The BEI is prohibited from announcing whether a
certain voter has already voted or how many have
already voted or how many so far have failed to vote.
Take note of the number of unused official ballots.
Brief the substitute watcher on what has transpired
during the shift.

The watchers must know the following:

1. How to challenge an illegal voter
2. Persons allowed inside the polling place
3. Persons not allowed inside the polling place
4. Prohibitions on voting

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DUTIES OF WATCHERS
DURING
COUNTING AND
TRANSMISSION OF RESULTS

Watchers must closely observe the

following procedure during
1. CLOSING OF POLLS;
2. COUNTING OF BALLOTS; and,
3. TRANSMISSION OF RESULTS
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CLOSING OF VOTING

1. Chairman shall press CLOSE VOTING on VCM

2. Print 8 copies of national returns, 8 local
returns
3. Transmit election results in the VCM using
transmission device to KBP Transparency
server, Central server and C/MBOC then VCM
prints transmission report
4. VCM shall automatically print 22 copies of
National Returns and 22 copies of Local
Returns
5. BEI shall print National Returns Report, Local
Returns Report, Statistical Report, Audit
Report, Complete Audit log
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6. BEI shall choose
Write-protect data
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TRANSMISSION OF RESULTS

Transmit election results in the VCM using transmission device

to KBP Transparency server, Central server and C/MBOC
then VCM prints transmission report

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In cases of FAILURE TO TRANSMIT

Manually re-transmit using the VCM, press RETRANSMIT RESULTS

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 DISPOSITION OF ERs
In the election of president, vice-president, senators and for the party-list
system of representation;
1. City or Municipal Board of Canvassers;
2. Congress, directed to the President of the Senate;
3. COMELEC;
4. Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV);
5. Dominant majority party as determined by the COMELEC in accordance
with law;
6. Dominant minority party as determined by the COMELEC in accordance
with law;
7. Ballot box;
8. Provincial Board of Canvassers;
9. Ten (10) accredited major national parties, excluding the dominant
majority and minority parties, in accordance with a voluntary
agreement among them
10.Two (2) accredited major local parties in accordance with a voluntary
agreement among them
11.Four (4) national broadcast or print media entities as may be equitably
determined by the COMELEC in view of propagating the copies to the
widest extent possible;
12.Two (2) local broadcast or print media entities as may be equitably
NLE POLLWATCHER'S
determined by the 2016
COMELEC
in view of propagating the
copies to the
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(c)
widest extent possible; and

In the election of local officials and members of the House of

Representatives:
1. City or Municipal Board of Canvassers;
2. COMELEC;
3. Provincial Board of Canvassers;
4. PPCRV;
5. Dominant majority party as determined by the COMELEC in accordance
with law;
6. Dominant minority party as determined by the COMELEC in accordance
with law;
7. One (1) to be posted conspicuously on a wall within the premises of the
polling place or counting center;
8. Ballot box;
9. Ten (10) accredited major national parties, excluding the dominant
majority and minority parties, in accordance with a voluntary
agreement among them.
10.Two (2) accredited major local parties in accordance with a voluntary
agreement among them;
11.Five (5) national broadcast or print media entities as may be equitably
determined by the COMELEC in view of propagating the copies to the
widest extent possible;
12.Two (2) local broadcast or print media entities as may be equitably
determined by the COMELEC in view of propagating the copies to the
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widest extent possible;
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DURING DISPOSITION OF VCM, Ers, and

other documents

When the counting of votes has ended and the results of the election in the
precinct have already been announced, the BEI shall:
Place inside the ballot box the sealed envelopes containing the
following:
Copy of printed Election Returns intended for the ballot box;
Copy of the Minutes intended for the ballot box;
Half of torn unused ballots; and
Rejected ballots, if any.
Close the flap of the ballot box with security seal as well as the cover of the
ballot box with packaging tape by wrapping the tape around the cover and
extending it to the upper part of the ballot box. The BEI shall affix their
signatures on the tape, and require the watchers present to also affix
their signatures;
Remove the main SD card from slot "A" of the VCM, place the card
inside the envelope provided for the purpose, and seal the envelope. The
BEI shall also indicate on the envelope the clustered precinct number,
barangay and city/ municipality/province. Said envelope shall be submitted
to the Reception and Custody Group of the City/Municipal Board of
Canvassers.The back-up
SDPOLLWATCHER'S
card shall not be removed from the
2016 NLE
VCM, and the cover of
slot "B"
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(c)

Turn-over the box containing the VCM and its peripherals

to the logistics provider. In the absence of the logistics
provider, the BEI shall turn-over the VCM box to the EO or his/her
authorized representative, who shall in turn, coordinate with the
logistics provider for the schedule of the retrieval thereof;

Deliver the ballot box, accompanied by watchers, to the

city/ municipal treasurer, except the ballot box of the polling
place that will be subjected to random manual audit, as provided
for in Article VIII of this Resolution. For this purpose, the
city/municipal treasurer shall, at its own expense, provide at the
voting center the necessary personnel and facilities for said
delivery.
In case the ballot box delivered by the BEI is not sealed, the
treasurer shall seal the ballot box, and include such fact, together
with the serial number of the plastic seal used, in his/her report to
the COMELEC;

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Deliver to the EO the following documents or papers:

EDCVL;
PCVL;
Envelope containing the copy of the Minutes intended for the
COMELEC (CEF No. A11);
Envelope containing the other half of torn unused official
ballots (CEF No. A15);
Envelope containing Initialization Report, Precinct Audit Log
Report and Precinct Statistical Report;
The envelopes containing copies of the election returns
intended for the city/municipal Board of Canvassers, Congress,
Provincial Board of Canvassers, Regional Board of Canvassers
in the case of ARMM, and the COMELEC;
The envelope containing the main SD card for use by the
city/municipal Board of Canvassers; and
Other pertinent papers and documents.
After the counting of votes, the EO or the city/municipal treasurer,
shall require the BEI which failed to turn-over the election
documents or paraphernalia to deliver them immediately.

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