Butuan suffers ballot shortage; Comelec implements contingency measures

Atty. Geraldine C. Samson, Comelec-Caraga assistant director, answers questions about ballot shortage in some clustered precincts at the Libertad Central Elementary School in Butuan City on Monday, 12 May 2025. Photo courtesy of PIA Caraga

GENERAL LUNA, Surigao del Norte (MindaNews / 12 May) – A shortage of official ballots was reported in several clustered precincts at the Libertad Central Elementary School in Butuan City on Monday, but the Commission on Elections (Comelec) immediately put in place contingency measures to ensure that all registered voters there were able to cast their votes.

Facebook user Garny Cupay posted that as of 9 a.m., precincts 0279A, 0279B, and 0279C had already run out of ballots. 

“Only 230 ballots were available for 910 registered voters,” Cupay said, complaining that some voters had stood in line for hours only to discover that there were no more ballots left. 

The post has since gained over 1,300 shares and 1,000 reactions.

The ballot shortage was confirmed by Atty. Geraldine C. Samson, Comelec- Caraga assistant regional director, in an interview with the Philippine Information Agency Caraga.

Samson said that four precincts in Barangay Libertad experienced shortages, with two precincts showing significant gaps, lacking 79% and 74% of their needed ballots.

“This isn’t something to worry about. We have contingency procedures in place. When a shortage happens, voters can be transferred to the nearest precinct with available ballots,” Samson said.

Samson said that to manage the situation, voters from precincts that ran short were grouped by five and distributed to nearby precincts but emphasized that  they still need to go back and line up at their original precincts for verification since their registration is listed there.

“They are then accompanied and personally endorsed by the electoral board from their original precincts to neighboring precincts within the same voting center, where they can cast their votes,” she added.

Samson clarified that under the Omnibus Election Code, official ballots cannot be opened before Election Day. 

“Once voting begins, that’s the only time ballots are counted. Early this morning, we identified the shortage and immediately began inventorying ballots in nearby precincts,” she said.

She attributed the issue to possible human error during packing at the Comelec central office, as ballots are sealed before being delivered to the regions.

Remelie V. Cedro, principal of Doongan Integrated School in Butuan which serves as a voting center, also confirmed in an interview with RMN DXBC Butuan that a ballot shortage occurred there.

Cedro said that voters were gradually transferred to nearby precincts as part of the Comelec contingency plan. (Ivy Marie Mangadlao / MindaNews)