As the country went to the polls on Monday, at least one precinct in northern Palawan opened its doors to voters only to find that an entire section of their official ballots—meant for selecting party-list representatives—was missing.
According to a report, election workers in San Vicente town discovered that more than 30 ballots had been printed with a blank reverse side. The back page, which is designated for voters to choose among party-list groups, was completely missing. The Electoral Board caught the error before voting began and immediately rendered the ballots unusable.
The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in Palawan described the issue as isolated and emphasized that contingency plans had been prepared. “We have standby ballots in case all the registered voters in the affected precinct show up,” a COMELEC representative told local media. The agency did not disclose how many voters were registered in the affected precinct.
In another corner of the province, a polling station in the island municipality of Dumaran received four ballots addressed to Sta. Cruz, Laguna—more than 1,200 kilometers away. The ballots, bearing the incorrect locality, raised eyebrows among election workers but did not disrupt voting. COMELEC officials explained that the error likely occurred during the national packaging process.
Despite the ballot mishaps, voting was reported to have started on time across most of Palawan, including the capital city of Puerto Princesa. Minor technical issues with Automated Counting Machines (ACMs) were noted in a handful of precincts in Rizal, Bataraza and Roxas, but election officials described these as “normal.”
“Ito-troubleshoot muna siya ng technician assigned. If ayaw pa rin, irireport sa NTSC (National Technical Support Center) ng Comelec. If i-advise ng NTSC for replacement, paplitan,” Jomel Ordas said.
Observers and voters alike expressed concern online about the potential consequences of such ballot errors, especially with regard to disenfranchisement in party-list voting. Under the Philippine party-list system, which aims to provide proportional representation for marginalized sectors, each voter is allowed to choose one party-list group in addition to district candidates.
Palawan, known for its logistical challenges and far-flung barangays scattered across islands and mountainous terrain, has historically faced hurdles in election delivery. Still, voter turnout in the province has traditionally been strong, a testament to the civic commitment of its residents.
COMELEC has not issued a formal tally of how many ballots were affected overall, but it assured the public that replacements would be distributed promptly if needed.
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