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Jean Mangaluz - Philstar.com
May 12, 2025 | 8:02pm
Voters wait in line at the San Jose Elementary School in Caloocan City to vote in the May 12, 2025 midterm elections.
Philstar.com / Jean Mangaluz
MANILA, Philippines — Marred by concerns over machine malfunctions and overvoting, the 2025 midterm elections have officially closed, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said.
“Tapos na ang botohan, local o overseas, ngayong May 12, 2025 National and Local Elections,” the Comelec said in a statement.
(Voting is done, local or overseas, this May 12, 2025 National and Local Elections.)
However, voting is still ongoing for precincts with lines that span 30 meters from the polling precinct as of 7:00 p.m. This is in line with Section 25 of Comelec Resolution 11076.
The automatic counting machine (ACM) will start printing election returns (ER) once the electoral board closes voting procedures.
As of 7:31 p.m., the Comelec said that it has received 10,030 ERs. They are expecting a total of 93,387.
In a press conference, Comelec Chair George Garcia called the elections a success so far, despite the delays and the issues encountered in several areas.
Some voters took to social media to complain about overvoting, including senatorial aspirant Teddy Casiño. Some people reportedly said the shading on their ballots bled through to the other side.
However, the Comelec earlier said this is impossible, as the front and back pages of the ballot do not face each other.
Aside from reports of overvoting, several machines were also reportedly malfunctioning due to excessive heat.
The Comelec said 311 machines had to be replaced overall, but they still considered this a success, as the replacement rate was much lower compared to the 2022 national elections.
