Ballot confusion observed in barangay, SK poll simulation

With less than a month before the 2018 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections, there are still a lot of confusion regarding the ballots to be used in the polls.

This is what the Commission on Elections (Comelec) observed when it held its first simulation of the barangay and SK polls in Rosauro Almario Elementary School in Tondo, Manila on Saturday.

Around a hundred voters participated in the mock polls, which began at 7 a.m..

Three sets of voters will participate in the upcoming elections: voters aged 15 to 17 years old, 18 to 30 years old, and 30 years old and above.

Those below 17 years old will only be given the ballot for SK elections. Those in the 18 to 30-year-old range will be given SK ballots and barangay ballots.

In a press conference, Comelec commissioners said they noticed confusion over the ballots, and noted some “basic mistakes” that will be discussed during their en banc session on Monday.

Even the teachers who participated in the simulation admitted to “honest mistakes,” such as not being able to immediately segregate the ballots.

Comelec acting chairman Al Parreño said that voters in the age range of 18 to 30 will have to undergo voter’s education and training in preparation for the May 14 elections.

“Ang kailangan ng education iyong 18 to 30. Dalawa po yung ballot na hawak niya. Yung isa for barangay yung isa for SK. Minsan yung botante napapagbaliktad niya, 'yun 'yung nakita natin sa simulation. Yung po yung kailangan nating voters education and training,” he said.

The poll body has already come up with posters that will be distributed to inform voters of the difference between the ballots.

These posters will be circulated to inform voters of the difference between barangay and SK ballots pic.twitter.com/LaXk00zuhF

— Jessica Bartolome (@jacbartolome) April 21, 2018

Overall, Comelec officials said the simulation was more or less a success.

Parreño said that its first ever simulation of the manual polls made them realize its advantages.

“Yung simulation na to first time natin ginawa eh pero nakita namin na maganda pala na may ganito. First time namin ginawa to sa manual,” he said.

The Comelec will be deploying the election ballots on April 25. The elections will be held on May 14. —ALG, GMA News