Comelec-Cordillera urges voters to double check receipts amid alleged ballot discrepancy in Benguet

Benguet, Philippines – The Commission on Election (Comelec) in Cordillera urged voters to be extra vigilant and check their receipts thoroughly before leaving the voting area.

The appeal came following a report from Kapangan, Benguet involving a possible ballot receipt error.

A certain voter from Barangay Paykek of said town claimed that the name printed on their voting receipt did not match their actual choice. The discrepancy was only reported after the voter had exited the polling center.

Officials of Comelec – Cordillera, through DZWT 540 AM - Radyo Totoo, clarified that no complaint was raised at the time of voting. The electoral board members confirmed the voter did not object when shown their printed receipt before it was dropped into the designated box.

Nonetheless, the commission responded swiftly. Electoral boards have been instructed to prevent voters from inserting their receipts into the receptacle if they express any doubt or concern about its contents. In such cases, the voter must instead swear an affidavit detailing the incident to allow further verification.

Comelec - Cordillera Assistant Regional Director Atty. Vanessa Roncal called the public to thoroughly check their receipts before leaving the voting area. Should there be any issue on their receipt, report it immediately while at the polling place.

Roncal also reminded the public to refrain from spreading misinformation.

While the incident appears isolated, Comelec - Cordillera reiterated its commitment to transparency and encourages voters to actively participate in safeguarding the election’s credibility.

On May 07 last week, the commission reported that it is among the three regions that showed a 100 percent success rate during the final testing of the automated counting machines (ACMs).