Article VIII. Procedures in Traditional Canvassing of Ballots

At the end of the balloting, all the Election Committees should submit the ballot boxes and the documents to the Student Government Commission on Election.

The canvassing of votes shall simultaneously start at 7:00 p.m.

During the counting of votes, the Chairperson of the Election Committee shall allow the watchers of the candidates to stay behind where they could see the names of candidates written on the ballots being read by the Chairperson.

The Chairperson of the Election Committee, who holds the key to the padlock of the ballot box, opens the ballot box in the presence of the members of the Election Committee and the watchers. The ballots shall be arranged by fifty (50) and counted per batch.

The Chairperson of the Election Committee shall read aloud the names of candidates written on each ballot while a member of the Election Committee assigned by the Chairperson makes a tally on the chalkboard, and the other member records the votes in the official form. In case the number of tallied scores on the chalkboard and the tally form are not the same, the tally score on the chalkboard shall prevail.

Appreciation of Ballots. The following manner of indicating the names of a candidate shall be considered a valid vote:

1. First Name - Middle Name - Family Name
2. First Name - Middle Initial - Family Name
3. First Name - Family Name
4. First Name
5. Family Name
6. Nickname - Family Name
7. Nickname

Misspelled names of the candidate/s as above enumerated which can still be read shall be considered a valid vote. Names which, when read, will have the same sounds as above enumerated shall likewise be considered as a valid vote. The neighborhood rule shall likewise apply in case the name of the candidate for President and Vice President will be written on the first and second lines for the Senators. The same shall be applied in case of Governor, Vice Governor and Legislative Representatives.

The Election Committee shall accomplish three (3) copies of the statement of results and shall immediately forward the same to the Student Government Commission on Election together with other election paraphernalia/s.

The Student Government Commission on Election, upon receipt of the statement of results, shall immediately canvass all the votes cast in all voting precincts and proclaim the winning candidates.

The Student Government Commission on Election, in consultation with the Board of Advisers, shall decide all matters pertaining to the conduct of voting and canvassing of votes which are not covered by the foregoing Election Code.

The Student Government Commission on Election, from time to time as the need arises, may promulgate additional rules which it deems necessary for an honest and credible student electoral exercise.