Pilot testing for elderly, mall voting a success

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday declared as successful the pilot testing of early voting hours for senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWD) and heavily pregnant women.

It also declared the trial mall voting in 11 selected areas of the country a success in the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE).

Comelec Chairman George Garcia said the poll body pilot tested the early voting scheme in two cities – Muntinlupa in Metro Manila and Naga in Bicol – with polling centers opening for the elderly, PWD and the heavily pregnant from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m.

Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon wished that the scheme would be expanded nationwide after seeing a good turnout among the elderly and PWD. The city has about 5,100 senior citizens and 1,000 PWDs.

Garcia described the implementation as a “blockbuster” with the elderly lining up as early as 4 a.m. to cast their votes.

“We could see that our senior citizens were happy and contented with their early voting. We could also say that we have accomplished what we wanted to achieve with the mall voting,” Garcia said in Filipino during a radio interview, noting that those who voted in malls “enjoyed a one-of-a-kind experience.”

With around 60,000 voters able to cast their votes in different malls nationwide, Garcia said the Comelec might expand its coverage to include more of the country’s malls during the 2025 local and national elections.

The poll chief also reported that 880 persons deprived of liberty or PDL in detention at the Bureau of Corrections were able to cast their votes from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.

He said the PDLs are among the “vulnerable sectors” that must still be provided the right of suffrage.

“We should never disenfranchise anybody,” Garcia stressed as he explained that the PDLs who participated in the voting were still without final conviction.

On the use of automated voting machines, he noted that while some of these were reported to have malfunctioned, it did not deter the pilot testing of an automated BSKE and that the winning candidates were expected to be proclaimed as early as 6 p.m.

Also in yesterday’s BSKE, the Comelec deployed a number of policemen to serve