Comelec warns voters on ‘selfie’

MANILA, Philippines - Voters, think twice before taking that selfie.

People who take pictures of themselves casting their votes in the barangay elections today might land in jail, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) warned.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez yesterday said a line must be drawn on some Filipinos’ predilection for taking pictures.

“It is legal to take a picture of your ballot or even to take a selfie in front of the Board of Election Tellers (BETs). But not when you do it together with your filled out ballots,” Jimenez explained.

He said election laws prohibit making any copy of the filled up ballots.

“Once a ballot has been filled up, it has to go straight to the ballot boxes. It would be no different from using carbon paper in voting,” he added.

Comelec Resolution 9751 provides that the use carbon paper, paraffin paper or other means of making a copy of the contents of the ballot is prohibited. Voter’s use of any other scheme to identify his choice, including the use of digital cameras, cellular phones with camera or similar gadgets is also illegal.

The Comelec reminded voters that today’s barangay polls revert to the traditional system of manual voting.

“There is no shading to be done here. This will be writing the names of the candidates,” Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes said.

Brillantes said voters should also write the full names of the candidate instead of just the first or last name.

“Since we noticed in the certificates of candidacy (COCs) that there are many similar family names, the names to be written should have the first names also. This is important so as not to have their votes considered stray,” Brillantes pointed out.