Up to 600 vote-counting machines replaced: Comelec

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MANILA -- Some 400 to 600 vote-counting machines were replaced after bogging down during the midterm polls, a Commission on Elections (Comelec) official said Monday.

Former Vice President Jejomar Binay's ballot was rejected in his first attempt to vote in Makati, while the same glitch prompted reelectionist Sen. Nancy Binay and Pasig mayoral candidate Vico Sotto to defer casting their ballots.

During the 2016 presidential race, only 125 vote-counting machines bogged down, said Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez.

There is no geographic pattern emerging with this year's faulty machines, and environmental factors may have contributed to the glitch, he said.

"We are seeing a lot of issues crop up but whether or not that will raise the level of destroying the credibility of the elections, I'm not there yet," he said.

"We are talking about 85,000 machines in play so you have to get a sense of scale here," he added.

The polls will be open until 6 p.m.

ANC, 13 May 2019