Why Aklan voters use ballpoint pens instead of marking pens

KALIBO, Aklan – Several voters in Lezo, Aklan used ballpoint pens instead of a marking pen as they cast their votes on Monday, May 9.

Acting provincial election supervisor Reiner Layson released an advisory on Sunday, May 8, the eve of the elections, saying the poll body had supplied black ballpoint pens to 694 clustered precincts all over the province.

“There have been multiple reports from other regions that the current marking pens are causing some VCM (vote counting machine) scanners to become defective. This will inadvertently prevent voters from having their ballots appreciated by the machine until repair is undertaken,” Layson said.

The Comelec provides marking pens to shade ballots. Voters are instructed to fully shade the entire oval beside a candidate’s name to make sure it is counted by the VCM. Voters are also told to refrain from placing extra markings on the ballot.

“Considering that the repair hub for defective VCMs is at Cebu City, Comelec Aklan has taken the initiative to present a mitigating measure to prevent scanner malfunctions from happening. We have deployed ballpoint pens to all 694 clustered precincts in the province to be used for shading official ballots,” Layson added.

The Aklan province has around 409,000 voters coming from 17 towns, including Boracay Island.

Reports coming from the 3rd Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, meanwhile, said chopper teams had successfully transported election paraphernalia and VCMs to the hinterlands of Libacao, where indigenous peoples comprise the bulk of voters.

In a related report, Layson also released an advisory on May 7, announcing that around 20 bars in Boracay were given certificates of exemptions for the liquor ban, but only for foreign tourists. – via/ Rappler.com