Practical tips for pollwatchers

1. POLLWATCHERS’ PRACTICAL TIPS
I. PRE-TESTING AND SEALING OF THE PCOS MACHINE
THE POLLWATCHER MUST –
 KNOW THE SCHEDULE OF THE COMELEC FOR THE PRE-TESTING AND SEALING
OF THE PCOS MACHINE IN THE ASSIGNED PRECINCT/CLUSTERED PRECINCT
 PRE-TEST SCHEDULE WILL BE DONE 3 – 7 DAYS PRIOR TO THE ELECTION DAY
 POLLWATCHERS MUST BE PRESENT DURING THE PRE-TESTING AND SEALING OF THE
PCOS MACHINE
 POLLWATCHERS MUST PARTICIPATE IN THE PRE-TEST OF THE PCOS MACHINE
AND MUST MAKE SURE THAT:
 THE PCOS MACHINE IS PROPERLY WORKING
 THE PCOS MACHINE CAN READ, SCAN, CONSOLIDATE AND TRANSMIT
THE RESULTS
 THE ELECTRONIC COUNT RESULT OF THE PCOS MACHINE SHOULD MATCH WITH
THE MANUAL COUNT RESULTS
 THE PCOS MACHINE IS PROPERLY SEALED
 SHOULD WATCH THE PCOS MACHINE UNTIL ITS OPENING ON THE
ELECTION DAY
 THE MAIN MEMORY CARD OF THE PCOS MACHINE HAS A SERIAL
NUMBER AND MUST MAKE NOTE OF THE SERIAL NUMBER. IF THE
MAIN MEMORY CARD HAS NO SERIAL NUMBER, MUST REQUEST THAT
THE MAIN MEMORY CARD MUST LABELED WITH THE PRECINCT NO.,
POLL CENTER NO., BARANGAY, CITY OR MUNICIPAL , PROVINCE
II. PRE-ELECTION DAY
THE POLLWATCHER MUST –
 BE DULY ACCREDITED AND DESIGNATED AS POLLWATCHER OF THE PARTY
 POLLWATCHERS ACCREDITED MUST MEET THE QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED BY LAW
 HAVE READ & UNDERSTOOD THE POLLWATCHER’S GUIDELINES AND HAS
ATTENDED THE SEMINAR FOR POLLWATCHERS
 HAVE THE PROPER IDENTIFICATION AND AUTHORIZATION FROM THE PARTY
 HAVE THE CONTACT NUMBERS OF THE NETWORK HEAD IN THE AREA, THE
NUMBERS OF THE LAWYERS AND PARALEGALS ASSIGNED IN THE AREA
 MUST KNOW THE ASSIGNED PRECINCT
 MUST VISIT AND INSPECT THE PRECINCT SITE FOR FAMILIARITY
 MUST KNOW THE COMPOSITION OF BEI AND THEIR BACKGROUND
 MUST ATTEND THE PRE-TESTING AND SEALING OF THE PCOS MACHINE
IN THE ASSIGNED PRECINCT/CLUSTERED PRECINCT
 MUST KNOW THE OTHER POLLWATCHERS AND SUPPORTERS ASSIGNED
IN THE SAME PRECINCT

2. BEFORE OPENING OF THE PRECINCT
THE POLLWATCHER MUST –
 BE AT THE ASSIGNED PRECINCT AT LEAST 2 HOURS FROM THE OPENING OF THE
PRECINCT AND INSPECT THE SURROUNDINGS OF THE PRECINCT
 BRING WATER AND FOOD AND OTHER NECESSITIES FOR THE WHOLE DAY
 BRING NOTEBOOK/PAPER AND PEN TO MAKE NOTES ON WHAT IS GOING ON WITHIN
AND OUTSIDE THE PRECINCT AND FOR MAKING NOTES OF THE PROTESTS
 BRING CELLPHONE OR CAMERA FOR COMMUNICATION AND RECORDING OF INCIDENTS
 MUST BRING THE POLLWATCHER’S KIT
 MUST WEAR THE OFFICIAL POLLWATCHER’S I.D.
 ASSIST IN THE BRINGING OF “OUR” VOTERS EARLY IN THE MORNING
 MUST ASSIST THE VOTERS IN LOOKING FOR THEIR NAMES AND CORRESPONDING
NUMBER IN THE PCVL LIST POSTED OUTSIDE THE PRECINCT
 ASSIST IN SAMPLE BALLOTS OR SOME FORM OF “CODIGO”
UPON OPENING OF THE PRECINCT
THE POLLWATCHER MUST –
 MUST REGISTER WITH BEI BEFORE THE START OF THE VOTING PROPER
 MUST BE FAMILIAR RIGHT AWAY IN THE LAYOUT OF THE PRECINCT
 MUST BE FAMILIAR WITH NAMES AND FACES OF THE POLLWATCHERS OF THE OTHER
PARTIES ASSIGNED IN THE SAME PRECINCT
 WHEN THE PCOS MACHINE IS BEING UNSEALED, MUST MAKE SURE THAT THE SEAL
WAS NOT BROKEN AND RESEALED
 THE BALLOT BOX IS EMPTY
 THE PACKAGE OF OFFICIAL BALLOTS AND BOOK OF VOTERS ARE SEALED
 WHEN THE BEI ACTIVATES THE PCOS MACHINE, THE FIRST PRINT OUT REPORT IS THE
“ZERO REPORT” WHICH THE POLLWATCHER MUST SEE THAT ALL CANDIDATES HAVE “0”
COUNTS AT THE RIGHT SIDE OF THEIR NAMES AND SIGNS THE ZERO REPORT
 MUST WATCH EVERY STEP AS THE BEI ACTIVATES THE PCOS MACHINE. ONLY THE BEI CAN
ACTIVATE THE PCOS MACHINE. NOONE ELSE. NOT EVEN THE SMARTMATIC TECHNICIAN.
VOTING PROPER
THE POLLWATCHER MUST –
 REPORT TO THE BEI ANY SIGNS OF DELAYING TACTICS OF VOTERS INSIDE
THE PRECINCT SO AS TO PREVENT OTHER VOTERS OUTSIDE TO CAST
THEIR VOTES DURING THE VOTING TIME
 BE ALERT IN MAKING PROTESTS TO THE BEI ON THE GROUNDS OF
ILLEGAL COMPOSITION OF THE BEI , OR ANY SIGNS OF ILLEGAL
PROCEEDINGS, OR ANY VIOLATIONS OF LAW, OR ANY IRREGULARITIES

3. III. ELECTION DAY
WHAT TO PROTEST:
 1. ILLEGAL COMPOSITION OF THE BEI OR BOC
 2. ILLEGAL PROCEEDINGS
ILLEGAL COMPOSTION OF THE BEI OR BOC: IF –
 BEI MEMBER IS NOT QUALIFIED UNDER COMELEC RESOLUTION 8739
 CONFLICT OF INTEREST DUE TO RELATIONSHIP WITH FELLOW BEI MEMBER WITHIN THE
SAME PRECINCT OR TO A CANDIDATE / SPOUSE
ILLEGAL PROCEEDINGS: IF –
 VOTER NOT REGISTERED IN THE PRECINCT IS ALLOWED TO VOTE
 VOTER WHO VOTED ALREADY IS ALLOWED TO VOTE AGAIN
 IF THE SMARTMATIC TECHNICIAN –
 IS NOT OFFICIALLY DESIGNATED BY THE COMMISSION
 IS NOT OFFICIALLY ASSIGNED TO THE PARTICULAR PRECINCT
 IS NOT SUMMONED BY THE BEI CHAIRMAN TO MAKE ANY REPAIR ON THE PCOS
IN THE EVENT THAT THE MACHINE DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY, YET THE
TECHNICIAN ON HIS OWN TOUCHES OR REPAIRS THE PCOS MACHINE
 DOES NOT REPAIR THE PCOS MACHINE AS INSTRUCTED
 OTHER GROUNDS THAT MIGHT BE IRREGULAR/UNUSUAL COMMITTED BY THE BEI OR
ANY PERSON WITHIN THE PRECINCT
 POLLWATCHERS MUST CONSULT ANYTIME THE LAWYER ASSIGNED, OR PARALEGALS ,
OR NETWORK HEADS
 MUST SECURE A CERTIFICATE FROM THE BEI OF THE PROTEST MADE/FILED AND GIVE TO
THE LAWYER OR NETWORK HEAD
END OF THE VOTING PROPER
THE POLLWATCHER MUST –
 WATCH AS THE BEI INITIATES THE CLOSING FUNCTION OF THE PCOS MACHINE
 WATCH AS THE PCOS MACHINE STARTS TO COUNT AND CONSOLIDATE THE RESULTS
 ONLY DURING THE TRANSMISSION OF THE ELECTION RESULTS SHOULD THE
TRANSMISSION CABLE BE ATTACHED TO THE PCOS MACHINE. DURING THE PRINTING OF
THE ELECTION RESULTS, THE TRANSMISSION CABLE SHOULD NOT BE ATTACHED TO THE
PCOS MACHINE.
 THE PRINTING OF THE 8 COPIES OF THE ELECTION RESULTS MUST BE
DONE FIRST BEFORE THE ELECTRONIC TRANSIMISSION OF THE
ELECTION RESULTS

4. (CONTINUATION)
THE POLLWATCHER MUST –
 MUST SECURE A COPY OF THE ELECTION RESULTS FROM THE BEI AND GIVE IT TO THE
NETWORK HEAD
 MAKE SURE THAT THE PCOS MACHINE IS COMPLETELY SHUTDOWN BY THE BEI AFTER
THE PRINTING (8 AND 22 COPIES) AND THE ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION OF THE
ELECTION RESULTS, THEN SURRENDERS THE PCOS MACHINE TO THE TECHNICIAN
ASSIGNED TO THE PRECINCT
 MUST MAKE SURE THAT THE BALLOT BOX IS SEALED AND SECURE, AND ACCOMPANY
ITS DELIVERTY TO THE CITY/MUNICIPAL TREASURER
 MUST MAKE A FORMAL WRITTEN REPORT TO THE NETWORK HEAD
 NOTE: AT ANY POINT DURING THE DAY, IF THE POLLWATCHER LEAVES HIS POST, HE
MUST HAVE A RELIEVER. NO POLLWATCHER POST MUST BE VACATED OR LEFT
WITHOUT A POLLWATCHER.
IV. OTHER NOTES
A. ON BALLOT :
B. ONE BALLOT – ONE VOTER POLICY.
 THE VOTER MUST NOT MAKE ANY MARKS OR ERASURES ON THE BALLOT OR MUST
NOT COMMIT ANY MISTAKE IN SHADING OR IN THE CHOICE OF CANDIDATES.
 NO OVER-VOTING. IT WILL INVALIDATE THE SEGMENT WITH THE OVER-VOTING.
 THE BALLOT IS BAR-CODED, COLOR-CODED, AND NUMBER-CODED.
 THE BALLOT IS PRECINCT –SPECIFIC
.
B. ON PCOS MACHINE
 THE PCOS MACHINE REJECTS PREVIOUSLY SCANNED BALLOTS, FAKE BALLOTS, MARKED
BALLOTS OR AUTHENTIC BALLOTS BUT NOT CONFIGURED FOR THE SPECIFIC PRECINCT
 VOTER IS ALLOWED 4 TRIES TO INSERT HIS BALLOT ON THE PCOS. IF IT STILL FAILS,
EITHER THE BALLOT IS MARKED OR THE PCOS MACHINE IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY.
 IF THE PCOS MACHINE IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY, THESE ARE STEPS:
1ST – REQUEST FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE PCOS MACHINE BY A BACK-UP PCOS
MACHINE
2ND - IF NO BACK-UP PCOS MACHINE, THE CURRENT PCOS MACHINE WILL BE REPAIRED
BY THE ASSIGNED TECHNICIAN UPON INSTRUCTION OF THE BEI
3RD - IF CANNOT BE REPAIRED, WAIT FOR THE PCOS MACHINE OF THE NEAREST
PRECINCT AND HAVE IT RECONFIGURED
4TH – IF NOT POSSIBLE, MANUAL VOTING AND COUNTING.
C. ON MAXIMUM NO. OF VOTERS IN CLUSTERED PRECINCT
 THE NUMBER OF VOTERS IN A PRECINCT/CLUSTERED PRECINCT SHOULD
NOT EXCEED 1,000 VOTERS
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