HASHTAGS, emojis, and hearts are definitely unwelcome when voters cast their ballots in the May 14 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.
Commission on Elections spokesman James Jimenez warned that ballots with these markings maybe invalidated.
“Our message, especially to our youth, do not draw on the ballots. Do not sign it with a smiley,” said Comelec Spokesman James Jimenez in an interview.
“We’re advising young voters not to mark ballots in anyway, like hashtags, smiley face, hearts. Please avoid it because your ballots may be invalidated,” he added.
Jimenez said doodling on the ballots may hamper the capability of the Board of Election Tellers to correctly read the name of the candidates chosen by the voter.
“Because it’s a manual election, there are many variables in being able to interpret the ballots, such as legibility of the handwriting and cleanliness of the ballot,” the poll official explained.
Jimenez said they have a reason to believe that it would not be surprising to see doodles in the ballots considering the “novelty” of the manual elections.
‘‘The Comelec’s concern is the novelty of blank paper ballots. To our youth, election means shading the ballots, not writing on a blank ballot. They may feel strange having a blank ballot,” Jimenez said.
During the barangay and youth polls, the Comelec will be using the manual election system, wherein the names of candidates to be voted upon will have to be written in the provided blank spaces.
This is different from the national and local polls where the agency uses the automated election system, wherein voters only shade the circle shape drawn beside the pre-printed name of their choice candidates.