ILOILO City – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has approved a new 15 percent shading threshold for ballot ovals in the upcoming May 2025 national and local elections, marking the lowest threshold since the implementation of automated elections in 2010.
However, Comelec Region 6 director Dennis Ausan clarified that while this new threshold will be implemented, voters are still encouraged to fully shade the ovals beside their chosen candidates’ names to ensure their votes are counted accurately.
The reduction from the previous 25 percent threshold to 15 percent was recommended by Comelec’s Project Management Office (PMO) and subsequently approved by the Commission en banc.
“While we campaign that voters fully shade the ovals, there are instances where they may not be able to do so,” Ausan explained the threshold lowering.
Under the new shading threshold, even if only 15 percent of the oval is shaded, the vote counting machine will still be able to read and count it.
The adjustment comes after observations in past elections showed that some voters, particularly senior citizens and persons with disabilities, often struggle to fully shade their ballots, which led to some votes not being counted.
Comelec chairman George Garcia emphasized the importance of voter education, urging candidates and political parties to help educate the public on proper ballot shading practices during the campaign period.
“Candidates and parties are encouraged to include voter education in their campaign activities,” he said, adding that they will already be in direct contact with the electorate as they go around to campaign.
In previous elections, the shading threshold varied: it was set at 25 percent in 2022 and 2019, 50 percent in 2016 and 2013, and 20 percent in the 2010 elections, the country’s first using an automated election system.
The official campaign period for national positions, including senators and party-list groups, begins on February 11, 2025, while the local campaign period for congressional and local government positions starts on March 28. Both will run until May 10, 2025. (With reports from the Philippine News Agency)/PN
