Teacher’s groups call out machine errors, substandard materials that void ballots

Voting was delayed in several cities across the country on election day due to malfunctioning automated counting machines and substandard voting materials, according to reports received by the ACT Teachers’ Hotline.

Vladimer Quetua, chairperson of ACT Philippines, said they have received numerous complaints from Quezon City, Caloocan, Malabon, Pasig, Antipolo, Iloilo and Davao, citing technical glitches and faulty election paraphernalia that led to long lines and voided ballots.

“The performance of the automated counting machines is disappointing — they were slow to initialize, repeatedly malfunctioned, failed to read ballots and overheated easily,” Quetua said in a statement.

The Teachers Dignity Coalition (TDC) also reported that some precincts are with “slight technical issues” as some machines refuse to take in ballots.

TDC Spokesperson Jim Lester Beleno said that while issues with the machines had been addressed, problems also arise in the organization in precints due to seeming lack of coordination among election officers.

ACT’s Quetua called on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to consider extending voting hours in areas affected by machine problems and to ensure proper compensation for teachers and poll workers working overtime.

“Comelec’s claim that these machines are better than the previous vote counting machines is fake news,” he said in Filipino. “We understand the calls to extend voting hours due to persistent machine failures.”

The group said teachers want to ensure that voters are not disenfranchised and can fully exercise their right to vote. “At the same time, Comelec must protect the rights and welfare of election workers,” Quetua said.

ACT National Capital Region Union President Ruby Anna Bernardo also criticized the poor quality of the election materials. “The ballots are too thin, and the pens are of low quality, with messy tips,” she said.

“Many voters reported that their ballots were marked as ‘overvotes,’ especially for the party-list section, because ink seeped through to the back. Public funds are being wasted on these defective materials. Someone must be held accountable,” she said.

Bernardo added that persistent problems with the automated election system continue to undermine public trust.

“This is already the sixth national election under automation, yet issues at the precinct level remain unresolved,” she said. “These recurring problems cast doubt on the accuracy of the results, and broader concerns over transparency persist.”

Due to these technical errors, teachers and election workers bear the brunt of voters’ frustration.

“It may be time to return to manual voting and precinct-level counting, especially since Comelec has failed to ensure transparent and reliable automated elections,” she added.

As of press time, Comelec has not issued a response to the claims of the groups.