ELECTION

MONITORING
(POLL WATCHERS)

National & Local Election 2019

What is Poll Watching?
• Poll Watching is an organized activity of political parties
and citizens in order to ensure Honest, Orderly and
Peaceful Elections (H.O.P.E.) by vigilant monitoring of
election activities.

QUALIFICATION OF A POLL WATCHER:

• The following qualifications set by the COMELEC shall be
qualified to be a Poll Watcher:
 A registered voter of the city or municipality
comprising the precinct of his/her assignment.

 Is a good reputation.

 Has not been convicted by final judgment of any

election offense or any other crime.

 Knows how to read and write Filipino, English or the

dialect used in the area.

 Not related to the 4th civil degree by consanguinity

(first cousin) or affinity of the members of he Board of
Election Inspectors (BEI) in his/her assigned precinct)
DUTIES AND RIGHTS OF A POLL WATCHER

• Watcher shall have the right to:

 Witness and inform themselves of the proceedings of the BEI.

 Take note of what the may see or hear.

 Take photographs of the proceeding and incidents, if any

during the counting of votes, as well as of the election returns
and ballot boxes.

 File a protest against any irregularity or violation of law, which

they believe may have been committed by the BEI or by any or
its members or by any person.

 Obtain from the BEI, a certificate as to the filing of such

protest and the resolution thereof.

 Be furnished, upon request, with a certificate of votes cast for

the candidates duly assigned and thumb marked by the
chairman and all the members of the board.

 Collect a hard copy of the election returns, statement of votes

and certificates of canvass by the municipal of city precinct.

 Collect a hard copy of the legislative district/province

certificates of canvass for assemblymen, vice governor and
governor supported by the statement of votes by
city/municipality in each legislative district/province.

 Receive the Computerized Voters List (CVL) for the effective

discharge of its responsibility particularly on the aspect of
Voters Assistance (note: reproduction fees may be required)

 Affix their signature and thumb marks in the election returns.

Watchers shall not speak to any member of the BEI or to any voter or
among themselves in a manner that would disturb the election
proceedings.
PREPARATION OF A POLL WATCHER

• Any person who shall serve as Poll Watcher shall undertake the
following activities:

1. Properly register as a Poll Watcher to the political party

seeking your services.

2. Attend the Poll Watchers’ training organized by the political

party/group.

3. Secure a copy of the Poll Watching ID, Appointment (when

required locally) and (this) Poll Watcher’s Handbook with poll
watching forms.

4. Familiarize one’s self with all the contact information

necessary (e.g. hotlines of your command center, local
COMELEC office, etc.)

5. Get to know the operational procedures of the local unit where

he/she belongs.

6. Get to know the location of the Command Center in the polling

center you belong to; and to know in advance the location of
the precinct to be monitored on Election Day.
Basic Election Information Every Poll Watcher Must Know

• Election shall be held on May 13, 2019 from 6:00am to 5:00pm.

If at 5:00pm, there are still voters within thirty (30) meters in front
of the polling pace who have not yet cast their votes, voting shall
continue but only to allow said voters to cast their votes without
interruption.

• The COMELEC shall adopt a paper-based automated election

system by using Vote Counting Machines (VCMs) which shall be
deployed in all polling places nationwide.

• The BEI shall be composed of a Chairman and two members, all of

which are public school teachers from the Department of Education
(DepED) and one of whom shall be designated as a poll clerk. At
least one (1) member shall be an information technology (IT) capable
person certified by the Department of Science and Technology
(DOST).

Basic Election Information Every Poll Watcher Must Know

• There shall be, in addition to the regular members of BEI depending

on the number of precincts clustered, a maximum of three (3)
Support Staff who are registered voter in the precinct/clustered
where they will serve.

• Voters shall cast their votes in the polling place designated by the
COMELEC.

• All registered voters whose names appear in the Posted

Computerized Voters List (PCVL) or Election Day Computerized
Voters List (EDCVL) or whose registration records have not been
cancelled or deactivated may vote in the election.

• Only the following persons shall be allowed inside the polling place:

1. Chairman & Members of the BEI and support staff if any;

 2. Watchers (to stay only in places reserved for them);

3. COMELEC Representatives;

4. Technical support staff assigned in the voting center duly

designated by COMELEC when called for by the BEI to help
address technical problems;

5. Voters casting votes;

6. Voters waiting for their turn;

7. Others specifically authorized by COMELEC (e.g. Citizen’s

Arms--- PPCRV, etc)

Basic Election Information Every Poll Watcher Must Know

Unless specifically authorized by COMELEC or requested by the BEI to

be indicated in the Minutes, it will be unlawful for the following to stay
within fifty (50) meter radius of the polling precinct except to vote:

1. Any officer or member of the Armed Forces of the Philippines

(AFP) or Philippine National Police (PNP);

2. Any peace officer or any armed persons belonging to any extra

legal police agency;

3. All other kinds or armed or unarmed extra-legal police agency,

special forces reaction forces, strike forces; and

4. Any barangay official, whether elected or appointed.

• The BEI shall maintain and update the Minutes of Voting and
Counting of Votes to include data required as they occur during
voting, counting and transmission of ballots.
POLL WATCHER’s TOOLS

 Poll Watcher’s Guide

 Ball pen

 Notebook

 Flashlight/Matches

 Calculator

 Poll Watcher's ID

 Camera

BASIC RULES ON ELECTION DAY

1. Voters shall vote in the order of arrival in the polling place;

2. No Poll Watcher shall enter the place reserved for voters and the
BEI, nor mingle and talk with voters;

3. No person carrying any firearm or any other deadly weapon, except

those expressly authorized by the Commission shall enter the
polling place;

4. There shall be no crowding of voters and disorderly behaviour

inside the polling place; and

5. The ballot box shall remain locked during voting.

Poll watchers must keep their eyes open for the following:

COMMON CHEATING SCHEMES

• Bribery and Vote Buying

 • Intimidation, Sowing Fear and Unrest to influence Voters to vote in
a certain way or to discourage them completely from voting

• Kidnapping of voters

• Illegal use of indelible ink

• Spreading false reports about candidates’ withdrawal or

disqualification

• Changing the numbering or location of polls to confuse voters

• Marking the ballots so that they will be considered spoiled/rejected

ballots

Poll Watchers must ensure the ff:

• Procedures for Voting Preliminaries, Obtaining the Ballots and the

Manner of Voting shall be strictly followed.

• Before the opening of the polls the ballot box shall be kept locked
and the VCM, sealed.

• Only authorized persons shall be in the polling precinct and its

vicinity during Election Day.

• Voters shall be properly instructed as to the procedure for castling

votes.

• No replacement ballot shall be issued to a voter whose ballot shall

be/is rejected by the VCM.

• All unused ballots shall be properly accounted for and shall be

properly kept.

• Illiterate and disabled (persons with disability) voters shall be

served properly.

• Challenge shall be posed against flying and illegal voter and persons
involved in illegal acts.
 • Voters shall not perform unlawful activities when they cast their
ballots.

• All forms of cheating and fraud including persons responsible for

such actions shall be immediately reported.

• All significant information, including irregularities shall be noted in

the Minutes.

• Procedures for Counting the Ballots, Transmitting Election Returns

and Disposing Election paraphernalia and the other documents are
strictly followed.

• Only authorized persons shall operate the VCM.

• ERs shall be transmitted to authorized servers and that printed

copies shall be made available to assigned entities.

• That the VCM, the sealed and locked ballot box and the other
election documents and materials shall be submitted and delivered
to the Election Officers without any irregularities.

PROCEDURE FOR SECURING REMAINING ELECTION

PARAPHERNALIA

1. The Provincial Election Supervisor, EO or the Treasurer shall

require the BEI, which failed to deliver the election documents
required to deliver them immediately.

2. The EO shall keep the EDCVL and PCVL in a safe place until such
time the COMELEC gives instructions for their disposition.

3. If after locking the ballot box, the BEI discovers that there are
documents or materials to be still placed inside, the BEI instead of
opening the box shall deliver them to the EO and the EO shall take
the appropriate measures.

Securing Remaining Election Paraphernalia

All remaining paraphernalia in the possession of the BEI shall be delivered
to the EO who shall take note of all Irregularities in his report to the
COMELEC.

POLL WATCHERS MUST ENSURE THE FOLLOWING:

 Procedures for Securing Remaining Election Paraphernalia and the

safe keeping of such shall be strictly followed.

FINAL REMINDERS FOR POLL WATCHERS

1. Poll watchers are entitled to printed copies of ERs, PCVL and other
documents, which will help in effectively performing Voter’s
Assistance.

2. Signatures of poll watchers are required to appear in the printed

copies of Election Returns and the Initialization Report generated by
the VCM.

3. Poll watchers must always be vigilant in securing only authorized

people are performing assigned tasks and that procedures are being
strictly followed.

4. Poll watchers must not hesitate to approach any BEI member for
questions, but never in an abrasive or confrontational way.

5. 5. Poll watchers must always put on charity, humility and enduring

patience for poll watching tasks.

6. 6. Poll watchers must continuously pray for the grace and wisdom,
security and guidance.