POLL WATCHERS

FOR BSKE ‘18

{ Atty. Jezzene Gail R. Paler
WHO ARE WATCHERS
Every candidate for the Barangay / SK
Election is entitled to one (1)
WATCHER in every polling place or
canvassing center.
QUALIFICATIONS
• A registered voter of the barangay or a
member of the Katipunan ng Kabataan,
in the assigned barangay
• Of good reputation
• Not been convicted by final judgment
of any election offense or of any other
crime
• Knows how to read and write Filipino,
English or any prevailing local dialect
• Not related within the fourth (4th) civil
degree of consanguinity or affinity to
the Chairperson or any Electoral Board
members in the polling place where the
watcher seeks appointment

• Incumbent Barangay Officials

including Barangay Tanods shall not be
appointed as watchers of any candidate
RIGHTS & DUTIES
• Stay in the space reserved for them
inside the polling place
• Witness the proceedings of the electoral
board
• Take note of what they may see or hear
• Take photographs of the proceedings
and incidents, if any, during the
counting of votes, as well as of the
Election Returns (ERs), tally board and
ballot boxes
• File a protest against any irregularity or
violation of law which they believe
may have been committed by any
Electoral Board member of any person
• Obtain from the Electoral Board a
certificate as to the filing of such protest
and/or of the resolution thereon
• Have an unimpeded view of the ballot
being read by the Chairperson, of the
ER and the tally board being
simultaneously accomplished by the
poll clerk and the third member
respectively, without touching any of
these election documents
• Be furnished, upon request, with
Certificate of Votes, duly signed and
thumb-marked by the Chairperson and
all the Electoral Board members
PROHIBITED ACTS
• Wear any candidate or party insignia or
any other identifying item or engage in
any partisan activities during the
performance of their duties
• Speak to voters inside the polling place
• Interfere in the polling or counting
processes
• File complaints with the intention of
disrupting the polling or counting
• Touch any polling materials or take
part in any polling or counting
operations
• Speak to any Electoral Board members,
or to any voter, or among themselves,
in such a manner as would disturb the
Electoral Board proceedings
RULES TO BE OBSERVED DURING VOTING
• The voters shall vote in the order of
their arrival in the polling place
• No watcher enters the places reserved
for the voters and the Electoral board,
nor mingle and talk with the voters;
• No person carrying any firearm or
other deadly weapon, except those
expressly authorized by the
Commission, enters the polling place
• No crowding of voters and disorderly
behavior inside the polling place shall occur

• The interior cover of the ballot box shall

remain locked until the voting is finished and
the counting begins, except when it becomes
necessary to make room for more ballots, the
Chairperson, may, in the presence of
watchers, open the box, press down the
ballots without removing any of them. After
which, the Chairperson shall again close the
interior cover of the ballot box and lock it
with the padlock. Such facts shall be recorder
in the minutes.
PROHIBITION ON VOTING
IT SHALL BE UNLAWFUL TO:
• Bring the ballot and/or the ballot
secrecy folder outside the polling place,
except, voting involving Persons with
Disabilities (PWDs), Senior Citizens
(SCs), heavily pregnant women and
detainee voters
• Speak with anyone while inside the
polling place
• Prepare the ballot without using a
ballot secrecy folder or exhibit its
contents to any person, except in cases
of assisted voting
• Erase any printing from the ballot or
place any distinguishing mark thereon
• Intentionally tear or deface the ballot
• Disrupt or attempt to disrupt the
proceedings of the electoral board
• Use carbon paper, paraffin paper or
other means of making a copy of the
contents of the ballot or otherwise
make use of any other scheme to
identify the vote, including the use of
digital cameras, cellular phones or
similar gadgets
MANNER OF OBTAINING BALLOTS
• Only the Chairperson shall issue the
ballot and not more than one (1) ballot
shall be issued at one time EXCEPT, in
cases where the voter is both barangay
and SK voter
• Any voter, under the 18-30 years old
category shall be given two (2) ballots.
• If s/he refuses, the Chairperson shall
explain to the voter that the voter shall
hold on to the two ballots and
accomplish only the ballot for the
election s/he wishes to participate.
• The unaccomplished ballot shall be
marked by the Chairperson with
“abstained” in the presence of the
concerned voter and deposit the same
in the compartment for spoiled ballots.
• The poll watcher shall take note of how
many incidents of unaccomplished
ballots.
POLL WATCHERS
FOR BSKE ‘18
{ Atty. Brenjune Bliss Gerong-Calapre
Can a poll watcher assist illiterate, PWDs or
Senior Citizens?
• While he is on duty, NO.
• But he may do so if:
• A relative within the 4th civil degree
of consanguinity or affinity
• A person of voter’s confidence who
belongs to the same household as
that of the voter
• Must not assist for more than 3 times
• Only a members of the Electoral Board
can assist for more than 3 times.
MANNER OF OBTAINING BALLOTS
• Only the Chairperson shall issue the
ballot and not more than one (1) ballot
shall be issued at one time EXCEPT, in
cases where the voter is both barangay
and SK voter
• Any voter, under the 18-30 years old
category shall be given two (2) ballots.
CHALLENGE AGAINST ILLEGAL VOTERS
• Not being registered
• Using the name of another
• Suffering from existing disqualification
• Being a double/multiple registrant
The challenged voter can only vote upon
presentation of Voter’s ID or any authentic
identification document or identified under
oath by any electoral board member or
another registered voter of the same
barangay.
COUNTING OF VOTES
• The electoral board shall publicly count
in the polling place, the votes cast and
tally the results
• The physical set-up may be re-arranged
as long as the ballot box and all election
documents and paraphernalia shall be
within close view the watchers and the
public
• Shall not adjourn or postpone or delay
the counting until fully completed
APPRECIATION OF BALLOTS
• NEIGHBORHOOD / PROXIMITY
RULE
Generally, votes should be written on the
space provided for. However, if it is not
written on the space provided for but is
near and there is no vote written on the
space provided for, the vote shall be
considered valid for said candidate whose
name is written proximate to the space
provided for. This is sometimes referred to
as the “intent rule.”
2. Idem sonans – “of the same sound.” A
name which is misspelled or incorrectly
written but which when read has a sound
similar to that of a candidate for that office
is valid for such candidate.

3. Equity of the Incumbent – If two or more

candidates have the same name or surname
and one of them is incumbent and on the
ballot is written that name or surname only,
it shall be counted for the incumbent.
4. A nickname by which a candidate is
popularly known in the locality is valid for
the candidate having such nickname.

5. Correct surname followed by the wrong

first name, correct first name followed by
the wrong surname is a stray vote.
6. Predominance of Surnames – If the
surname of a candidate is the first name of
another candidate for the same office and
only that name is written on the ballot, the
vote shall be counted in favor of the
candidate who has that name as his
surname.