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Residents under the first district of Quezon City register as voters at a satellite office of the Commission on Elections on Jan. 31, 2023. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News
MANILA — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Sunday said it eyed holding nationwide mall voting by 2025.
Mall voting will be held in 10 sites in the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections this October. These sites include 8 malls in Metro Manila and one each in Cebu and Legazpi City, said Comelec Chairperson George Garcia.
"Gusto po nating gawin yan sa buong Pilipinas sa darating na 2025.... Lumalabas mga 400 hanggang 500 malls meron sa ting bansa. Kung saka-sakali, hindi na natin gagamitin yung mga eskwelahan [bilang polling center]…hindi na maiistorbo yung pag-aaral ng mga bata," he said.
"Ito po ay libreng ipinagkakaloob sa atin ng mall owners o operators… lahat po ng mga pasilidad, kahit mga gamit at mga tao nila, ay ipinapagamit po sa atin nang libre," the official told Radyo 630.
(We want to implement that across the Philippines in 2025. There are 400 to 500 malls nationwide. If the plan pushes through, we will no longer need to use schools as polling centers and classes will not be disrupted. Mall owners or operators are letting us use their facilities, equipment and manpower for free.)
The Comelec on Saturday simulated mall voting in 4 areas.
"Sabi nila (participants) napakasarap ng experience dahil nga aircon. Maayos, mabilis yung pagpunta nila sa mismong lugar kung saann bumuboto. At siyempre, yung seguridad, kontroladong kontrolado natin," Garcia said.
(They said the experience was good because the venue was air-conditioned. They found it easy to go to the area. And of course, we controlled security very well.)
Helen Graido, policy consultant of election watchdog Lente, urged Comelec to move polling areas to malls' ground floor, which she said was more accessible for seniors, persons with disability, and the pregnant.
She also suggested a wider information drive for voters who will be part of the mall voting's pilot run.
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