Low voters turnout in special elections PROOF of vitiated notice

The sufficiency of notice is determined on whether the voters generally have knowledge of the time, place and purpose of the elections so as to give them full opportunity to attend the polls and express their will or on the other hand, whether the omission resulted in depriving a sufficient number of the qualified electors of the opportunity of exercising their franchise so as to change the result of the election. From the foregoing, it is not difficult for us to rule that there was insufficiency of notice given as to the time and transfer of the polling places. The low turnout of voters is more than sufficient proof that the elections conducted on that day was vitiated. A less than a days notice of time and transfer of polling places 15 kilometers away from the original polls certainly deprived the electors the opportunity to participate in the elections. [G.R. No. 124089. November 13, 1996]