Rules for the appreciation of ballots.
Section 144
SEC. 144. Rules for the appreciation of ballots. — In the reading and appreciation of ballots the following rules shall be observed: 1. Any ballot where only the Christian name of a candidate or only his surname appears is valid for such candidate, if there is no other candidate with the same name or surname for the same office; but when the word written in the ballot is at the same time the Christian name of a candidate and the surname of his opponent, the vote shall be counted in favor of the latter. 2. A name or surname incorrectly written which, when read, has a sound equal or similar to that of the name or real surname of the candidate shall be counted in his favor. 3. When the name of a candidate appears in two spaces of the ballot, it shall be counted in favor of the candidate for the office with respect to which he has filed certificate of candidacy. The vote for the office for which he is not a candidate shall be counted as stray. 4. When in a space of the ballot there appears a name that is erased and another clearly written, the ballot is valid for the latter. 5. Ballots which contain prefixes such as "Sr.", "Mr.", "Don", "Guinoo", "Hon.", "Dr.", "Gob.", or suffixes like "hijo", "Jr.", "Segundo", are valid. 6. The erroneous initial of the name which accompanies the correct surname of a candidate, the erroneous initial of the surname accompanying the correct name of a candidate, and the erroneous intermediate initial between the correct name and surname of a candidate does not annul the vote in favor of the latter. 7. The fact that there exists a person who is not a candidate with the name or surname of a candidate does not prevent the adjudication of the vote to the latter. 8. Ballots wholly written in Arabic in localities where it is of general use are valid. To read them the board may employ any person who upon oath can do so impartially. 9. The use of nicknames and appellations of affection and friendship, if accompanied by the name or surname of the candidate, does not annul the vote in favor of the latter, except upon conclusive proof that they were used as a means to identify their respective voters. 10. Any ballot written with lead pencil or with ink, wholly or in part, is valid. 11. Where there are two or more candidates voted for an office for which the law authorizes the election of only one person the ballot shall not be counted in favor of any of them, but this shall not affect the validity of the other votes contained therein. 12. The excess of candidates voted for councilor or for offices for which the election of two or more candidates is required does not annul the ballot, but for such offices the ballot shall be counted only in favor of the candidates firstly voted for therein until the authorized number is covered. 13. Any vote in favor of a person who has not filed a certificate of candidacy, or in favor of a candidate for an office for which he did not present himself, shall be invalid and counted as stray vote, but this shall not invalidate the whole ballot. 14. Ballots containing the name of a candidate printed and pasted on a space of the ballot or affixed thereto through any mechanical process are totally null and void. 15. Any ballot containing initials only or which is illegible or which does not sufficiently identify the candidate for whom it is intended shall not be valid, but this shall not invalidate the whole ballot. 16. When there are two or more candidates for an office with the same name or surname, the voter shall, in order that his vote may be counted, add the correct name, surname or initial that will identify the candidate for whom he votes. 17. Circles, crosses or lines put on the spaces on which the voter has not voted shall be considered as signs to indicate his desistance from voting and shall not invalidate the ballot. 18. Unless it should clearly appear that they have been deliberately put by the voter to serve as identification marks, commas, dots, lines, or hyphens between the name and surname of a candidate, or in another part of the ballot, traces of the letters "t," "j" and other similar ones, the first letters or syllables of names which the voter does not continue, the use of two or more kinds of writing, and unintentional or accidental flourishes, strokes, or strains, shall be considered innocent and shall not invalidate the ballot. 19. The tearing of a ballot accidentally caused does not annul the ballot. 20. Failure to remove the detachable number from the ballot does not annul the latter. 21. Any ballot which clearly appears to have been filled by two distinct persons before it was deposited in the ballot box during the voting is totally null and void.