Blog Watch #VoteReportPH

Note: This will be our election monitoring live blog beginning May 9, 2016. Keep refreshing this page to see the latest updates.

To report , use hashtag #VoteReportPH and tag @kontradaya on twitter

Live broadcast

Click on youtube.com/blogwatch for our live broadcast.

Map of #VoteReportPH

Screen Shot 2016-05-09 at 12.37.15 PM

Click the map

May 9, 2016

20:30

Reports of malfunctioning/non-functioning VCMs were reported across all 17 cities within the National Capital Region: Quezon City, Manila, Navotas, Makati, Paranaque, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Caloocan, Pasig, Mandaluyong, Pasay, Malabon, Marikina, Taguig, San Juan, Valenzuela and Las Pinas. Common complaints were rejected ballots, paper jams, overheating and machine shutdowns. Kontra Daya Summary Report as of 7PM

18:27

Breakdown of verified reports as of 6:27pm shows 171 VCM error/failure

13177737_797659783666889_4992708703061013660_n

17:40

Prof. Giovanni Tapang talks about the reports of VCM reports where most came from Metro Manila.

17:25

Interview with Nora Aunor, who visited the Kontra Daya Command Center

16:00

Comelec and Smartmatic are to blame for the vote counting machine (VCM) malfunctions that continues to be reported in many areas around the country. These failures were in the form of non-functioning VCMs, rejected ballots, paper jams, overheating and machine shutdowns. The VCM failures were reported amidst of other incidents such as widespread vote buying, harassment and disenfranchisement.

The poll body and the foreign private contractor have repeatedly ignored and brushed away concerns about the vulnerability and lack of end-to-end testing and certification of the VCM. VCM failures open the possibility of midday hijacking of votes as procedures for testing and sealing might not be followed dutifully. Disenfranchisement can also ensue if the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI) fail to re-read the ballots that was previously counted prior to the VCM failure.

In some cases when machines malfunction, BEI’s have asked voters to leave their filled ballots and have these fed in to the VCM’s once a replacement machine is available. This opens up the voting process to all sorts of tampering and possibly fraud. This also defeats the purpose of printing receipts so that the voters could verify their votes. Read more : Comelec and Smartmatic failed to learn lessons of previous polls– Same errors worsen vulnerability of the elections

15:27

13:28 PM

Running account on right bar of kontradaya.org

More reports are coming in of failed mmachines, voters are asked to leave their filled their ballots: E.Rodriguez Elementary School in QC, Urduja Elementary School in North Caloocan, Caloocan elem School, Napico Elem School in Pasig, and more. These are being processed for posting.

> VCM failures and malfunction are causing delay
> long lines, delays may lead to disenfranchisement
> Due to VCM breakdowns, voters are asked to leave their ballots.
> Replacement of machines could take up around 2 hours, and machines are no longer tested and are open to manipulation (ie different SD card inserted)

VCM malfunction leads not only to massive disenfranchisement but also to manipulation and fraud. (via Kontra Daya, Noemi)


12:28 PM

We are live

12:17 PM : Reports of problems during the actual voting process came in as early as 5:30 a.m. Sources of reports are Task Force Poll Watch and Kontra Daya volunteers. General trends for reports coming in are:

1. Majority of complaints received by Kontra Daya report incidents of vote counting machine (VCM) malfunctions in many areas around the country. These were in the form of non-functioning VCMs, rejected ballots, paper jams, overheating and machine shutdown.

Within the National Capital Region, malfunctioning/non-functioning VCMs were reported across various precincts in Quezon City, Manila, Navotas, Makati, Paranaque, Marikina, Muntinlupa, and Caloocan.

Cluster Precinct (CP) 1549 in Beata Elementary School, Manila, for instance, reported a shutdown due to malfunctioning VCM. In Araullo High School, Manila, there were reports of failed diagnostic tests, jammed ballots and thermal receipts; no diagnostic process was observed for CP 1149.

Outside NCR, ongoing VCM malfunctions were reported in the cities of Batangas, Tacloban, Occidental Mindoro, Naga, Cavite, Davao Oriental, and La Union. Reports of voters unable to locate their names in the official list in their respective precincts are also coming in from Amulung West, Cagayan.

In Brgy. Kayrilao, Nasugbu, for instance, some precincts resorted to manual voting due to VCM breakdown and due to the absence of replacement machines. In a precinct from Tuao, Cagayan, a VCM machine reportedly stopped functioning after processing the first 50 votes.

2. Another cause for delays in voting are reports of the VCMs failure to print and issue receipts.

As of 11:00 a.m., reports reaching Kontra Daya have observed that VCMs have failed to print or issue receipts during the initialisation process. So far, incidents of these have been reported in Mariano Marcos High School and Araullo High School in Manila, San Francisco Elementary School in Quezon City, and Paranaque National High School.


3. The breakdown of the VCMs, coupled with undue delays in the replacement of machines and disenfranchisement of registered voters, has stalled the voting process for as long as two to five hours in some areas.

An earlier report, for instance, said that the VCM in Vice-Presidential candidate Leni Robredo’s own poll precinct broke down and took almost 2 hours to replace.

Some cluster precincts in Paranaque, Makati and Bulacan also experienced voting delays due to ballots being rejected by the VCMs.


4. There were also incidents of black propaganda against certain party-list groups, vote buying, disenfranchisement and harassment and violence. As of this writing, at least one person from Abra has been reported killed.

As of 9:30 a.m. Kontra Daya received reports of vote-buying in Brgy. Bagua, Cotabato City, amounting to P500 and Bislig, Surigao del Sur, amounting to P3,000, allegedly initiated by entities affiliated by the Liberal Party. A separate report of money being distributed to voters in Camalaniugan, Cagayan, was also registered.

Other monitored incidents involve election violence, harassment and/or militarisation. The presence of military personnel and armed soldiers inside poll precincts in Brgys. Assign Via, Taytay and Bunugan in Baggao, Cagayan and Labac Elementary School in Naic, Cavite has created an atmosphere of fear, discouraging voters. (via Kontra Daya Notes, mid-day summary , Noemi)


12:15 PM

Kontra daya already called for extension of voting hrs til 7pm earliest due to thd delays caused by machine problems, replacement of machines w/c did not work at all. Prof Arao said it’s possible that Comelec will issue such resolution, we hope so (via Kontra Daya , Noemi)

May 8, 2016

15:04 – Setting up at the Kontra Daya command center. Click on youtube.com/blogwatch for our live broadcast. (Noemi)

KD banner Vote Report1