Makabayan coalition senatorial candidate faces voting challenges
Makabayan coalition senatorial candidate Amirah Lidasan experienced difficulties casting her vote in her assigned precinct in Matanog, Maguindanao, after her name was missing from the voters’ list at Matanog Central Elementary School. Despite transferring her registration from Cotabato City to Matanog, where she voted in 2022, she could not vote there on election day.
After spending several hours from 7 a.m. to 12 noon trying to resolve the situation, Lidasan finally found her name on the voters’ list at Krislam Elementary School in Cotabato City. She was able to cast her vote there past 5 p.m.
The coalition is now investigating the incident, noting that several other voters in the same precinct also could not find their names on the list.
“Nakakabahala itong pangyayari sa lugar namin. Dapat ay makapagpaliwanag agad ang COMELEC. Ang boto ko at bawat boto ng mamamayang Pilipino ay dapat na protektado at pinahahalagahan,” Lidasan said. (This is worrisome. The COMELEC should immediately explain. My vote and every vote of the Filipino people should be protected and valued.)
Voter list and machine problems raise concerns
Makabayan reported that Lidasan went to Cotabato City to vote only to discover that the automated counting machine (ACM) was malfunctioning. The coalition added that she is not alone, as many voters face the same problem with missing names on the voters’ list.
Meanwhile, fellow Makabayan senatorial candidate Alyn Andamo shared that her vote for the party-list was not counted because of an error with the automated counting machine.
According to Andamo, the election officer told her that nothing could be done due to the machine error, and they would just include the issue in their official report. However, no steps were taken to ensure her vote was counted.
Calls for hybrid election setup grow louder
Given these issues, Andamo is urging for a hybrid election setup in future polls. She believes this approach could help reduce errors and prevent possible electoral fraud.
These incidents highlight concerns about the accuracy and protection of votes in the current election system. Voters and candidates alike are calling for transparency and improvements to safeguard every Filipino’s right to vote.
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