15% of ballot shading eyed
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) aims to lower the threshold for the shading on ballots to be considered as a valid vote from the current 25 percent to just 15 percent in the 2025 midterm polls.
Comelec Chair George Garcia said the poll body’s Project Management Office has recommended to accept votes for a candidate of which 15 percent of the oval has been shaded so that no voter will be disenfranchised.
“We trust the system that much (that the machines can still read even if only 15 percent of the oval has been shaded). With the 15 percent threshold, we will be assured that senior citizens, persons with disability and other voters who have difficulty in shading their ballots will still have their votes counted,” Garcia said.
The proposal, however, is still subject to the approval of the seven-member commission en banc, which will hold its regular session on Oct. 3.
The poll chief clarified that check marks in ballots will still not be accepted.
