FALSE: Viral online post on 'pre-shaded ballots'

A staged video at least two weeks old, supposedly showing a ballot pre-shaded with ultraviolet (UV) ink is still making rounds this election day.

While the footage and its other versions show ballot ovals of senatorial candidates from the Otso Diretso slate were already marked when viewed under UV light, the clips fail to show a Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) UV-sensitive security feature that should appear at the top half of official ballots.

A vote counting machine (VCM) demonstration by election watchdog Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) shows that official ballots should have a UV security portion beside the election instructions and below the QR code on each ballot. The lack of both the UV-sensitive security feature and QR code show that the ballot used in the video is fake.

UV security features for ballots have been employed by COMELEC for at least two elections - in 2013 and 2016 - where a 2013 COMELEC resolution said the UV marks should be detected “using any commercially-available hand-held UV lamp.”

COMELEC has also debunked the online post, citing the lack of a QR code, serial number and precinct assignment in the ballot.

See related article by Rappler.

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