Voters, poll watchers question glitches as broken machines stall long lines at precincts

Photo taken at the Pinyahan Elementary School voting precinct in Quezon City and dated May 9, 2022 shows throngs of voters crammed into a hallway where two voting machines malfunctioned.

Philstar.com / Franco Luna

MANILA, Philippines — Barely halfway through election day, broken voter machines and technical difficulties forced voters to wait hours under the sun just to practice their right to suffrage. 

The Commission on Elections has admitted that it recorded almost 1,900 voting machines marred with "common issues" around the country including paper jams, rejected ballots, and printing complications.  

Even in sites without any technical difficulties — including Loyola Grand Villas and the adjacent Miriam College — voters who arrived in the early morning were still in line by 3 p.m. Accounts of similar experiences around the country have since gone viral on social media. 

Full Story: https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2022/05/09/2179864/voters-poll-watchers-question-glitches-broken-machines-stall-long-lines-precincts