MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) - Six Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines belched smoke while being used in at 3 polling centers in Masbate province during the country's first-ever automated elections on Monday.
Alberto Cañares II, provincial election supervisor, said 4 of the damaged PCOS machines are deployed in 4 polling centers in Balud town, one each in the municipalities of Placer and and San Pascual.
Cañares said the PCOS machines could have been damaged by the fluctuating power supply in the province.
The poll officer said shaded ballots from the 6 affected precincts have been brought to the municipal canvassing center for manual counting. -- Reports from Edwin Gadia, radio dzMM and Jose Carretero, ABS-CBN Bicol