1,000 Leyte voters can’t vote due to voting machine failure

Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista. INQUIRER/ MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

Comelec Chair Andres Bautista inspects a vote counting machine. INQUIRER/ MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

MAASIN CITY, Philippines – Voting stopped in two clustered precincts in Barangays Mantahan and Guadalupe, Maasin City, Southern Leyte province after the Vote Counting Machines (VCMs) malfunctioned.

The cluster precincts comprised eight precincts or at least 1,000 voters.

The Board of Election Inspectors stopped the voting after the VCMs failed to read the votes cast after 10 tries.

Richy Blasabas, Smartmatic technician assigned at the city poll office, said they tried cleaning the VCMs and were inspecting these to check what was wrong.

He added the monitor would still not read the results, prompting them to call the National Technical Service Office.

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