Convening General Meetings in Barangays
- The barrio captain or barangay head must convene general meetings to inform members about upcoming referendums/consultations.
- Meetings are to discuss the issues fully and constructively.
- Multiple meetings may be called at the discretion of the barrio/ barangay head.
Barangay Referendum Committee Composition and Appointment
- COMELEC appoints a referendum committee at least 10 days before voting.
- Committee members: a COMELEC representative (chairman), a barangay council member, and a public schoolteacher in the barangay.
- Substitutions allowed if any member is unavailable.
- Public schoolteachers serving as committee members vote in their respective barangay centers.
Designation of Barangay Voting Centers
- COMELEC designates one or more barangay centers as polling places 10 days before voting.
- Preferably barrio halls or public buildings.
- More than six hundred registered voters allow multiple centers for ease of voting.
Role and Powers of Observers
- COMELEC may appoint up to five barangay members as observers per barangay center.
- Powers include:
- Notifying the committee chairman of any irregularities.
- Reporting violations to election registrar.
- Assisting the committee in orderliness as directed.
Qualifications and Procedures for Voting
- All registered barangay members physically present on voting day may vote.
- Individuals omitted from the list may vote upon proof via registration records or prior voter lists.
Official Barangay Ballots Specifications
- Uniform size and color nationwide, provided at public expense.
- Strip-shaped ballots with stubs and coupons for numbered tracking and thumbmarks.
- Printed with Republic’s coat of arms, "Barangay Ballot," voting date, instructions, and issues/questions.
- No printing on the back.
- Separate Arabic translations where applicable.
Casting Votes and Voting Hours
- Voting by secret ballot at the designated barangay centers.
- Voting hours: 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM, extended only to accommodate queued voters present at 6:00 PM.
- Voter identification checked against the barangay registry.
- Committee resolves procedural disputes by majority vote.
Use of Two Ballot Boxes by Age Group
- Two ballot boxes per center:
- One for voters aged 15 to under 18.
- One for voters 18 and above.
Ballot Distribution and Preparation Protocol
- Voter presents name and address, verified by committee chairman.
- Chairman announces voter’s name aloud.
- Voter receives one folded ballot and signs the voter record.
- Voter marks ballot secretly in a booth and affixes thumbmark.
- Ballot folded and returned to chairman who deposits it without opening.
Assistance to Illiterate or Disabled Voters
- Voter may choose a trusted person (preferably a relative within the 4th civil degree) to assist inside the voting booth.
- Assistant must sign a document pledging secrecy regarding ballot contents.
Closing of Voting
- Voting stops strictly at 6:00 PM except for voters within 30 meters waiting to vote.
- Chairman publicly announces closure when all entitled voters have voted.
Vote Counting Procedures
- Votes by younger group (15–under 18) counted first.
- Ballots sorted in piles of 200, tallied with a counting system using tally sheets.
- Committee members read, record, and supervise the tallying process transparently.
- Then votes for voters 18 and older are counted similarly.
Certification and Transmission of Referendum Results
- Barangay referendum committee prepares two identical certified copies of results with detailed information (date, location, number of voters, votes for each issue).
- One copy sent to COMELEC, other retained by barangay head.
- Results prepared separately for each age group.
Canvassing of Results by COMELEC
- COMELEC canvasses all certified results on voting day and proclaims outcomes.
- Missing results that do not affect overall outcome do not prevent proclamation.
Postponement of Referendum
- COMELEC may postpone referendums upon serious causes (calamities, violence, terrorism, destruction of records).
- Petition must be verified with notice and hearing.
- Postponed referendum held as close as possible to original date.
Prohibited Acts and Penalties
- Various offenses punishable by 1 to 6 months imprisonment include:
- Foreigners influencing referendums.
- Vote buying, providing food, drinks, and transport around referendum period.
- Electioneering or propaganda within 30 meters of polling place on referendum day.
- Coercion or intimidation by public officers or employers.
- Unauthorized participation by military or police personnel.
- Unauthorized printing, distribution, or possession of official ballots.
- Tampering with ballot boxes or referendum materials.
- Multiple voting or voting for others.
- Election committee members' misconduct during counting.
- Disorderly behavior preventing committee function.
- Propagation of false information disrupting referendum.
- Unauthorized conducting, stopping, or interference with referendums.
- Improper custody or destruction of referendum materials.
- Other offenses related to secrecy and integrity of the voting process.
Jurisdiction and Prosecution
- Municipal and city courts have jurisdiction over offenses under this Decree.
- Court of First Instance decisions on appeals are final.
- COMELEC’s authorized legal officers conduct preliminary investigations and prosecutions.
Rules, Regulations, and Supplies
- COMELEC empowered to promulgate rules and prescribe forms necessary for implementation.
- Procurement of referendum supplies may be done by negotiation or sealed quotations if public bidding impracticable.
- Contractual hiring of personnel permitted.
- COMELEC may adjust periods and dates by rule-making where necessary.
Repeal and Modification of Inconsistent Laws
- All inconsistent laws, orders, decrees, and regulations are repealed or amended accordingly.
Appropriations
- An appropriation of Four Million Five Hundred Thousand Pesos is allocated from the National Treasury exclusively for implementing this Decree through COMELEC.
Effectivity
- The Decree takes effect immediately upon issuance.