PH closes voting period for 2025 elections

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday evening formally closed the voting period for Eleksyon 2025. 

The early voting hours for senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and pregnant women started from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m., while the regular voting hours began from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.  

According to Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia, no failure of elections was declared in any part of the country. However, the poll body admitted to encountering issues, including some 311 automated counting machines (ACMs) having technical problems. 

At least 15 polling precincts nationwide are also set to extend their voting hours until Tuesday.

“Ngayon po merong ilang presinto sa buong Pilipinas na mukhang kakailanganin nating i-extend yung kanilang botohan. Meaning, walang declaration ng failure of election pero kinakailangan iextend yung kanilang pagboto but simply because may issue dun sa ilang balota nila,” said Garcia. 

“Ang issue nila yung mismong timing marks ay malabo at hindi binasa ng mismong makina. And therefore, we ordered immediately this afternoon the reprinting of the ballots in at least 15 precincts in different areas in the country,” he added. 

Garcia said the poll body will order the continuation of the voting period in the affected precincts until May 13.

“These precincts may not affect anymore the results of this election kaya lang we still need to proceed with the election so as to not to disenfranchise the voters,” he added. 

“Di namin pwedeng i-disregard ang mga presintong ito and therefore, we have to continue with the election in these particular precincts. And we’re coming up with a resolution on this matter,” he said. 

There are 69,673,655 registered voters for the May elections, of whom 68,431,965 are in the Philippines while 1,241,690 are overseas. —LDF, GMA Integrated News