Manila: The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) has received reports that some automated counting machines are tallying votes due to smudges or stray marks, following a change in the vote-reading sensitivity for the 2025 elections. In a media briefing at the election watchdog’s headquarters in Manila, PPCRV spokesperson Ana Singson reminded voters to handle their ballots carefully and inspect them thoroughly before submission, citing that vote threshold for counting ovals has been lowered from 25 percent to 15 percent.

According to Philippines News Agency, Singson cautioned voters against making unintended marks on their ballots, as even small dots could be misread by the machines as votes. She stressed the importance of ensuring ballots are clean before acceptance to avoid discrepancies. Singson explained that the PPCRV’s call center received various reports of unexpected votes showing up in the results.

One voter, for example, claimed to have selected only four senatorial candidates, but the receipt reflected eight. ‘That’s why we always refer back to the random manual audit, which checks the accuracy of the machines,’ she said.

The PPCRV assured the public that it continues to monitor complaints and anomalies, while emphasizing the importance of proper ballot handling and full cooperation with the election process.