Comelec to raffle off ballot order sequence for party-list groups in 2013 polls

Over the years, party-list groups have learned to start their names with the first letter of the alphabet to get ahead of their rivals in the elections.

 

However, party-list groups whose names start with the letter "A" or with the number "1" will not necessarily be seen first on the official ballots for the 2013 polls anymore.

 

This development came after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) came out with Resolution No. 9467, promulgated June 15, which says that the poll body will conduct a raffle of accredited party-list groups to determine the order of their listing on the 2013 official ballots.

 

“Only party-list groups/coalitions accredited by or duly registered with the [Comelec] and which have manifested their desire to participate in the party-list election, may participate in the raffle for purposes of determining their order of listing in the ballot,” the poll body said.

 

The Comelec said the raffle will be conducted at 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 14, 2012 at the session hall of the poll body headquarters in Intramuros, Manila. It said the poll body will use a raffle drum or a tambiolo with numbered balls. 

 

The number on each ball shall represent a party-list group. It said that the drawing of the balls shall be in accordance with the order of the listing on the ballot, meaning the first ball (party-list group) drawn shall get slot number one on the ballot and so on and so forth.  

 

The poll body said the procedure shall be repeated until all the balls have been drawn.

 

“The raffle shall be conducted in the presence of at least three members of the commission; chairman/president or in his absence, the secretary-general of the party-list groups/coalitions and representatives of the media. To ensure the orderly conduct of the raffle, only the persons mentioned shall be allowed inside the session hall during the raffle,” it said.

 

In 2010, the Comelec proclaimed 28 winning party-list organizations. Of this number, 15 groups had names starting with the letter A while one group's name started with 1.

 

In four elections preceding the 2010 polls, almost half or 36 of the 74 winning groups had names that started with the letter A. They were followed by 12 groups with names that started with the letter B. — RSJ, GMA News