ELECTORAL BOARD GUIDE FOR THE 2023 BSKE

VOTERS, CHALLENGES, 6. Others who are specifically authorized

OBJECTIONS, SPOILED by the Commission.
BALLOTS, & OTHER MATTERS
Persons Not Allowed
VOTERS In and Around the
Voting Place – Unless
Persons Allowed to Vote: specifically authorized by
the Commission, it is
1. Registered unlawful for the following
voters of the person to any polling place or stay within a
precinct whose radius fifty (50) meters thereof, except to
name appear in vote;
the EDCVL for
the Barangay 1. Any officer or member of the Armed
and/or Forces of the Philippines (AFP) or the
levels; SK Philippine National Police (PNP),
unless said PNP personnel is duly
2. Voters presenting final order of the court appointed as EB members pursuant to
certified by the clerk of court and verified Section 147 hereof;
by the EO; and
2. Any peace officer or armed persons
3. EB members entitled to avail of voting belonging to any extra-legal police
privileges under Section 137 of the General agency, special forces, reaction forces,
Guidelines for the 2o23 BSKE. strike forces, Civilian Armed Force
Geographical Units (CAFGUs),
Barangay Tanods, or other similar
Persons Allowed Inside forces or paramilitary forces, including
the Voting Place - Only special forces, security guards, special
policemen;
the following persons shall
be allowed inside the
3. All other kinds of armed or unarmed
polling place.
extra-legal police forces; and
1. EB members; 4. Incumbent Barangay and SK official,
whether elected or appointed.
2. Watchers who shall stay only in the
space reserved for them; EB Members, by
majority vote, if it deems
3. Voter casting their votes; necessary, may order in
writing the detail of a
police officer or any
4. Voters waiting for their turn to vote;
peace officer for their protection or for the
protection of the election documents and
5. Voters waiting for their turn to get their paraphernalia. Such order shall be entered
ballots; in the Minutes. Said police officer shall
stay

1
1
ELECTORAL BOARD GUIDE FOR THE 2023 BSKE

outside the polling place within a radius of

thirty (30) meters or near enough to be
easily called by EB at any time, but never
at the door, except in areas declared 2. By another registered voter of the
under COMELEC control, in which same barangay; or
case the police officer shall stay near or
at the door of the polling place.
3. Any relative by consanguinity or
affinity within the 4th civil degree.
CHALLENGES
A barangay and/or SK voter can only be
identified by another voter of the same
A. Challenge Against Illegal Voters barangay. Such identification shall be
recorded in Part E of the Minutes.
Who may challenge: Any voter or
AUTHENTICATION DOCUMENTS
watcher any person offering to vote.
Any of the following authentication
Grounds:
documents may be presented by the voter
when challenged or the identity is in
1. Not being registered;
doubt:
2. Using the name of 1. Employee’s identification card
another; (ID), with the signature of the
employer or authorized
3. Suffering from existing
representative;
disqualification; or 2. Postal ID;
3. PWD ID;
4. Being a double or multiple
4. Student’s ID or library card signed
registrants.
by the school authority;
5. Senior Citizen’s ID;
The EB shall satisfy itself as to whether the 6. Driver’s License;
ground for the challenge is true by 7. NBI Clearance;
requiring: 8. Passport;
9. SSS/GSIS ID;
a. Proof of registration;
10. Unified Multiple-Purpose
b. Identity; or
Identification (UMID);
c. Qualification. 11. National ID (PhilSys);
12. PAG-IBIG ID;
No voter shall be required to present
13. Integrated Bar of the Philippines;
voter’s identification card or any other
14. License issued by the Professional
valid identification cards, unless the
Regulatory Commission
identity is in doubt or challenged.
(PRC);
However, the failure or inability to present
15. Certificate of Confirmation issued
an authentic identification document upon
being challenged shall not preclude the by the National Commission on
voter from voting if identified under oath Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) in case
by: of members ICCs or Ips;
16. Any other government-issued ID;
and
1. Any EB member;
17. Barangay Identification/Certification
with photo and signature of the
voter

2
2
ELECTORAL BOARD GUIDE FOR THE 2023 BSKE

and Barangay Chairman or his/her

signatory.
R
E
C
B. Challenge Against Certain Illegal O challenges and oaths taken in connection
All
Acts R voting shall be recorded by the Poll Clerk
with
D Part E of the Minutes.
in
Who may challenge: I
Any voter or watcher. N
GIn case the voter refuses to take such
oath, the challenge shall be sustained,
and the voter shall not be allowed to vote.
Grounds: O
F
1. Received or expected to WATCHERS
receive, paid, offered or
C
promised to pay, HQUALIFICATIONS
contributed, offered or A
promised to contribute L
money or anything of value L
in consideration for his vote E  A registered
or for the vote of another; N voter of the
G barangay or a
E member
2. Made or received a promise S
to influence the giving or of the
withholding of any such Katipunan ng
vote; or A Kabataan, as the case may be, in
N the assigned barangay;
3. Made a bet or is interested D
O  Is of good reputation;
directly or indirectly in a bet
A
which depends upon the T
results of the election.  Has not been convicted by final
H judgment of any election offense
S or of any other crime;
The challenged
person shall take
an oath before the  Knows how to read and write
EB that he has not Filipino, English, or any of the
committed any of prevailing local dialect; and
the acts alleged in
the challenge.  Is not related within the fourth
Upon the taking of (4th) civil degree of consanguinity
such oath, the challenge shall be dismissed, or affinity to the Chairperson or
and the voter shall be allowed to vote. In any EB members in the polling
case the voter refuses to take such oath, place where the watcher seeks
the challenge shall be sustained, and the appointment.
voter shall not be allowed to vote. Incumbent Barangay Officials including
Barangay Tanods shall not be appointed as
watchers of any candidate or citizen’s arms.

3
3
ELECTORAL BOARD GUIDE FOR THE 2023 BSKE

RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF WATCHERS

Upon entering the polling place, the watcher

shall present to the EB Chairperson his or PROCEDURES ON SPOILED
her sworn appointment. The appointment
BALLOTS
shall bear the following the signature of the
candidate with a statement that the
REPLACEMENT OF
watcher possesses all the qualifications and
ACCIDENTALLY SPOILED
none of the disqualifications as watcher. The
BALLOTS
Poll Clerk shall record the name of the
watcher in the Minutes with a notation under If the ballot is accidentally spoiled or
the watcher’s signature that said person is defaced in such a way that it cannot be
not disqualified to serve as such. lawfully used, the following procedures
must be followed:
The watchers shall have the right to:
The voter shall surrender the
1. Stay in the space reserved for them inside
Step 1 ballot folded in the same way
the polling place; that it was issued by the EB
Chairperson.
2. Witness the proceedings of the EB; The EB Chairperson shall
write the word “spoiled”
3. Take note of what they may see or hear; Step 2 beside the ballot SN
4. Take photographs of the procedures and previously recorded in the
incidents, if any, during the counting of EDCVL.
votes, as well as the Election Returns The EB Chairperson shall
(ERs), tally board and ballot boxes; then give the voter a second
Step 3 authenticated ballot after
5. File a protest against any irregularity or announcing its SN.
violation of law which they believe The Poll Clerk shall record
may have been committed by
Step 4 the announced SN number in
any EB member or by
any person; the available place in the
EDCVL.
6. Obtain from the EB a certificate as to the The spoiled ballot shall,
filing of such protest and/or of the without being unfolded and
resolution thereon; without removing the
detachable coupon, be
7. Have unimpeded view of the ballot being distinctly marked with the
read by the Chairperson, the election
Step 5 word “spoiled”, signed by
returns (CEF No. 9) and the tally board the EB Chairperson at the
(CEF No. 10) being simultaneously back thereof and deposited in
accomplished by the Poll Clerk and the the compartment for spoiled
Third Member respectively, without ballots of the ballot box.
touching any of these election
documents; and The Poll Clerk shall record
Step 6 in the Minutes the name of
8. Be furnished, upon request, with the the voter and the SN of the
Certificate of Votes (CEF no. 13), duly spoiled ballot.
signed and thumb marked by the
Chairperson and all EB Members.
Watchers shall not speak to any EB member,
or to any voter, or among themselves, in such If the second issued ballot is spoiled or
a manner as would disturb the EB defaced again in such a way that it can no
proceedings. longer be lawfully used, the same shall be

4
4
ELECTORAL BOARD GUIDE FOR THE 2023 BSKE

surrendered by the voter to the EB

Chairperson in the same manner as the
first spoiled or defaced ballot.
In all cases, the Poll Clerk
No voter shall be shall record in the Minutes
allowed to the name of the voter and
change the SN of the spoiled or
spoiled/defaced ballot more replacement ballot.
than once.

INSTANCES WHERE NEW BALLOT BALLOTS DEPOSITED IN THE

CANNOT BE ISSUED IN CASE THE COMPARTMENT FOR SPOILED
FORMERLY ISSUED BALLOT HAS BALLOTS – Ballots deposited in the
BEEN SPOILED compartment for spoiled ballots shall be
presumed to be spoiled, whether or not
1. The SN/s of the ballot/s is/are they contain such notation; but if the EB
not the same with SN/s as should find that during the voting, any
entered in the EDCVL - The valid ballot was erroneously deposited
ballot/s shall be considered “spoiled” therein. The valid ballot so withdrawn shall
and shall be so marked and signed by be mixed with other valid ballots, and such
the Chairperson and placed fact shall be recorded in Part C of the
inside the Minutes.
compartment
for spoiled
ballots. Such
fact shall be ACCOMPLISHMENT OF
indicated in BALLOTS FOR
Part C of the ILLITERATE, PWD, OR
Minutes. SENIOR CITIZENS

2. The voter refuses to have the

fingernail stained with indelible
ink and still refused to have
them stained despite being Illiterate, PWD, or SC
that it will render their ballot
informed who cannot by
spoiled – In such case the EB themselves accomplish
Chairperson shall without unfolding the ballot may vote
the ballot and without removing the with the assistance of
detachable coupon, write at the back of any of the following:
the ballot the word “spoiled,” sign the
same and immediately place said ballot a. A relative within the 4th civil
in the ballot box compartment for degree of consanguinity or
spoiled ballots. The voter shall then be affinity;
required to leave. Such fact shall be
recorded in Part C of the Minutes. b. A person of his/her confidence
who belongs to the same
household as that of the voter.
3. The second issued ballot has For this purpose, the person
been accidentally spoiled or
who usually assists the PWD,
defaced.
such as personal assistant,
caregiver, or a nurse shall be

5
5
ELECTORAL BOARD GUIDE FOR THE 2023 BSKE

considered a member of the

voter’s household; and

c. Any EB member. All ballots should be returned

to the compartment of valid
Step 1 ballots and thoroughly mixed
therein.
All assistants must be of voting
The Poll Clerk, without
age. No person, except the EB seeing the ballots and with
members may assist an his/her back to the ballot box,
illiterate, PWD or SC more than Step 2
shall publicly draw out as
three (3) times. many ballots as may be equal
to the excess.
Without unfolding the excess
The Step 3 ballots, the Poll Clerk shall
shall be write at the back thereof the
bound
assistor in word “excess ballots”
writing The Poll Clerk shall then
Step 4 place the excess ballots inside
and under the Envelope for Excess
oath to fill-up Ballots.

the ballot/s
strictly in
accordance with the instructions of the
voter and not to reveal the contents
thereof, by affixing the signature on the
appropriate space in the Minutes.

For such
purpose, the EDCVL shall bear the
following markings:

* -- 18 to 30
years old

A – Illiterate
PROCEDURE INBCASE – Persons
OF
with Disability (PWD)
EXCESS BALLOTS
C – Senior
Citizen (SC)
If there are more ballots than there are
voters who actually voted in the
precinct, the following procedures
should be followed:

6
6
2023 BSKE
MODULES

SCAN THE QR CODES TO ACCESS E-COPY OF THE BSKE MODULES

FOR ELECTORAL BOARDS

Election Day Procedures Legal Matters and Other Appreciation of Ballots Special Polling Places
Manual Procedures Module Module Module

Election Forms, Supplies,

Contingency Procedures
and Documents Checklist
Module

FOR BOARD OF CANVASSERS

Preliminaries Module Post-Canvassing Module Procedures Module Remedies Module