WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Registered voters of Cavite’s 7th District troop to the polls on Saturday, February 25, to cast a ballot for their next congressman.
The winner of the special election will fill the seat in the House of Representatives vacated by former lawmaker Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla, who has been appointed justice secretary of the Marcos administration barely two weeks after he won the congressional election unopposed.
Republic Act No. 7166 or the electoral reforms law empowers the Commission on Elections to hold a special election for a legislative seat if there is still at least one year left in the lawmaker’s term.
Bookmark this page for live updates on election day. – Rappler.com
LATEST UPDATES
Electoral boards submit election results and materials to municipal canvassing centers
Members of electoral boards (EBs) line up at the Tanza municipal canvassing center to submit their polling place results and election materials#NAMFREL #BantayNgBayan #CaviteSpecialElection pic.twitter.com/aNQcuOSxkB
— NAMFREL (@Namfrel) February 25, 2023
Members of electoral boards (EBs) arrive at the Indang municipal canvassing center to submit their polling place results and election materials#NAMFREL #BantayNgBayan #CaviteSpecialElection pic.twitter.com/mi2dNdIV8H
— NAMFREL (@Namfrel) February 25, 2023
When to expect Cavite 7th district congressional election results
Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Garcia said the local board of canvassers in the towns of Amadeo, Indang, and Tanza, and Trece Martires City will finish tallying the votes on Saturday night, February 25.
These local poll workers will manually transmit the results to the provincial board of canvassers (PBOC), which will only serve as a reception group for the rest of the evening.
“[The PBOC] may start canvassing and eventually proclaim the winner between 8 am and 10 am tomorrow (Sunday, February 26),” Garcia said.
Comelec: Majority of voters cast ballot in Cavite special election
Around 50% to 53% of the 355,184 registered voters in Cavite’s 7th district participated in the special congressional election on Saturday, February 25, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) reported.
“It is welcome news that the majority of the 355,000 people here voted,” Comelec Chairman George Garcia said in Filipino.
Voter turnout for Cavite special election reached 50 to 53 percent
What to expect: The board of canvassers at the municipal and city level will conclude canvassing tonight, and deliver the SD cards to the provincial board of canvassers. But the PBOC will process these tomorrow, and proclaim the winner between 8 and 10 am. | via @newsdwight
— Rappler (@rapplerdotcom) February 25, 2023
Comelec: Voting officially closed at 7 pm
Voting for the special congressional election in Cavite's 7th district officially closed at 7 pm, Comelec spokesman Rex Laudiangco said. | via @newsdwight
— Rappler (@rapplerdotcom) February 25, 2023
LIVE UPDATES: https://t.co/duDXENkyDu pic.twitter.com/dGKXJZIohD
Closing of voting and printing of election returns
Electoral Board closes the vote and prints election returns in a polling place in Amadeo Elementary School#NAMFREL #BantayNgBayan #CaviteSpecialElection pic.twitter.com/whs1oY6imF
— NAMFREL (@Namfrel) February 25, 2023
Closing and printing of election returns in a polling place in Trese Martires Elementary School#NAMFREL #BantayNgBayan #CaviteSpecialElection pic.twitter.com/9bPqfY4Rix
— NAMFREL (@Namfrel) February 25, 2023
Printing of vote counting machine audit logs in a polling place in Trese Martires Elementary School#NAMFREL #BantayNgBayan #CaviteSpecialElection pic.twitter.com/VkbUp9qkMY
— NAMFREL (@Namfrel) February 25, 2023
Closing procedures underway
A polling place in Trece Martires Elementary School started closing procedures a few minutes before the official close of voting at 7pm because there were no more voters.#NAMFREL #BantayNgBayan #CaviteSpecialElection pic.twitter.com/IYaoDyKAoZ
— NAMFREL (@Namfrel) February 25, 2023
Voting done, a polling place in Trece Martires Elementary School conducts closing procedures to be followed by counting of votes.#NAMFREL #BantayNgBayan #CaviteSpecialElection pic.twitter.com/TlOGAtmJBF
— NAMFREL (@Namfrel) February 25, 2023
A polling place in Indang National High School conducts closing procedures to be followed by counting of votes.#NAMFREL #BantayNgBayan #CaviteSpecialElection pic.twitter.com/wkpXuZRfrq
— NAMFREL (@Namfrel) February 25, 2023
Last hour of voting
It’s the last hour of voting for the special congressional election here in Cavite’s 7th district. Not a lot of voters, but poll workers are ready to accommodate people until 7 pm. | via @newsdwight pic.twitter.com/rmWEtnSBmw
— Rappler (@rapplerdotcom) February 25, 2023
Casquejo: Comelec anticipated, adequately prepared for poll hiccups due to ‘senior citizen’ VCMs
Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Marlon Casquejo said the poll body had received only a “few” reports of automated election hiccups during the Cavite 7th district congressional election on Saturday, February 25.
Casquejo has yet to provide the exact number, but he said the glitches were anticipated by the Comelec, so they had adequately come up with contingency measures.
“We [have been using] these machines since the 2016 elections, so they are old. In other words, it’s like they are senior citizens already,” he said. “But we are using it in this special election to save money, and the results will be faster compared to a manual election.”
The Comelec has a 1:1 school-to-backup VCM ratio to enable poll workers to immediately replace any malfunctioning machine, Comelec spokesman Rex Laudiangco said.
Tanza residents cast votes at Maximino V. Pangilinan Elementary School
Residents cast their votes at Maximino V. Pangilinan Elementary School in Tanza, Cavite, on Saturday, February 25. A special election is being held in Cavite for the 7th district congressional seat vacated by Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla. 📸: Rappler pic.twitter.com/Mqd0nKkvSP
— Rappler (@rapplerdotcom) February 25, 2023