PPCRV reports ACM issues, overvotes, mislabeled ballots, violence

The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) has received reports of mismatches between actual votes and receipts from automated counting machines (ACM), cases of overvoted ballots, incidents where voter-verified paper audit trail receipts show additional names not voted for, and mislabeled ballots in some precincts.

On Thursday, PPCRV spokesperson Ana Singson informed reporters that these issues are being reported from various locations, including Zamboanga and Dumaguete, with no specific geographic pattern identified yet; she also cited reports of ACMs refusing to receive ballots in Caloocan and Navotas.

PPCRV noted slower reading times of ACMs compared to previous elections, causing delays in voting processes, while President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. experienced a ballot jamming incident at his polling station on Monday.

The PPCRV has pulled out its volunteers due to safety concerns over violent encounters between former barangay officials and reports of election-related violence resulting in fatalities and injuries in several areas.

PPCRV is also asking the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for an explanation regarding discrepancies observed on Comelec's website, particularly in Zamboanga City and Dumaguete City where there were inconsistencies in voter turnout data; PPCRV continues to monitor these complaints while stressing the need for proper ballot handling and full cooperation with the election process.