CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, (PNA) — The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) on Monday reminded voters to let their votes count and avoid making stray or invalid votes.
Alelie Ramirez, the city’s COMELEC supervisor, said that COMELEC’s Resolution 9751 provides that “if the first name or surname of a candidate is written, the vote for such candidate is valid, if there is no other candidate with the same first name or surname for the same office.”
Ramirez also clarified that in the case only the first name of a candidate is written on the ballot which when read has a sound similar to the surname of another candidate, the vote shall be counted in favor of the candidate with such surname.
“If there are two or more candidates with the same full name, first name or surname and one of them is the incumbent, and on the ballot is written only such full name, first name or surname, the vote shall be counted in favor of the incumbent, among others,” she explained.
Every ballot shall be presumed valid unless there is clear and good reason to justify its rejection, she said.
Ramirez added that in case there are questions on the appreciation of ballots, it shall be decided by a majority of the members of the board of election assigned during canvassing.
“No watcher, candidate, or any other person in the polling place shall be allowed to participate in the appreciation of ballots,” Ramirez said.
However, Ramirez said, the watcher could file a protest which shall be recorded in the minutes during the canvassing of votes.