The Central Elections Committee ruled Tuesday evening that a defective ballot slip will not be automatically disqualified and must be counted as valid as long as the voter's choice can be clearly identified.
The directive is intended to ensure that voters' ballots are not disqualified because of defects that do not prevent their choices from being identified, and that the will of the voter takes precedence when determining the validity of ballot slips.
The committee's directive emphasized: "The general rule is to allow the voter's ballot to be included in the results, and only if it cannot be deemed valid should it be disqualified."
The decision means that the mere presence of a defect in a ballot slip is not sufficient grounds for disqualification. Election officials must determine whether, despite the defect, it is still possible to clearly identify which party list the voter intended to support.