Kontra Daya calls on the COMELEC to extend voting hours for Election Day past the stated 7:00 P.M. closing time today, May 9.

With the volume of reports coming in to Kontra Daya regarding vote counting machine (VCM) breakdowns, as well as the longer time required to vote due to enforcement of health protocols, there is a high probability that many voters would be unable to vote by 7:00 p.m.

Media reports have stated that 1,800 vote counting machines have malfunctioned, which translates to about 1.1 million potentially affected voters (or about 2% of the voting population). This is a substantial number especially for electoral races that are tightly contested.

Already, Kontra Daya has received reports of voters going home after being unable to wait due to long lines or the arrival of replacement machines. This is a clear case of voter disenfranchisement.

Extending voting hours will enable more voters to cast their votes and allow time for COMELEC to resolve issues with voting.