Supreme Court Rules Comelec Cannot Be Compelled to Conduct Manual Precinct Vote Counts

The Supreme Court ruled that the Commission on Elections cannot be compelled to conduct manual counting of votes at the precinct level under Republic Act No. 9369, also known as the automated election law. In dismissing the petition, the court held that manual counting is not a mandatory requirement under the law, which amends Republic Act No.

8436 authorizing the adoption of an automated election system in the Philippines. A plain reading of Republic Act No. 9369 in its entirety reveals that the legislative intent was to modernize the Philippine electoral process through the implementation of an automated election system, the court said.

The Supreme Court stated that the very purpose of the AES is to eliminate manual counting at the precinct level to reduce human intervention and the risks of electoral fraud. 9369. The petitioners had asked the court to order the Commission on Elections to issue rules for manual counting of votes at the precinct level.

They cited Section 31 of Republic Act No. 9369, which they said requires that official ballots must be read by the chairman of the Board of Election Inspectors at the precinct level in a public and transparent manner. The group filed the petition after the Commission on Elections did not act on their letter dated January 2, 2025, seeking compliance with the provision.

The Supreme Court said the reference to manual counting in Section 31 must be interpreted in harmony with the general provisions of Republic Act No. 9369, which prioritizes automated elections. Residents filled out registration forms for the upcoming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections during the Commission on Elections' Special Register Anywhere/Anytime Program at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila on March 10, 2026.

The program allows qualified voters to register or update their voter records.