MANILA — Some 34 voting centers across the country will be participating in Wednesday’s mock elections, intended to mimic various stages of the May 9, 2022 polls—from the time voters enter the polling centers up to the canvass of votes.

PHOTOS: Final Comelec, electoral board, support staff briefing for tomorrow’s #Halalan2022 mock elections in Pasay City. pic.twitter.com/B6nMx41qJh

— Ina Reformina (@InaReformina) December 28, 2021

These voting centers, all of which are public schools, are spread out in regions 2, 5, 7, 8, 11, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), and the National Capital Region (NCR).

Based on data released by the Commission on Elections (Comelec), the estimated total number of participating mock voters is at 22,476, representing the number of combined registered voters in selected areas in the provinces of Isabela, Albay, Negros Oriental, Leyte, Maguindanao, Davao del Sur, and NCR.

The mock polls will test the efficiency of the whole process.

“Ang mock elections po na ito ay pursuant sa umiiral na batas para ma-test yung security, accuracy at saka po ang integrity ng ating VCM, the transmission and the canvassing po and at the same time yung effectiveness po ng ipatutupad na protocols dahil po for the first time in the history of the Philippines magkakaroon po tayo ng pandemic elections," explained Ronald Santiago, election officer (EO) for Pasay City districts 1 and 2.

There will be 4 voting centers each in the following areas:

• Isabela (Cauayan South Central School, Minante 1 Elem. School, Cordon South Central School, Gayong Elementary School)

• Albay (Tamaoyan Elem. School, Albay Central School, Pioduran West Central School, Pioduran East Central School)

• Negros Oriental (Negros Oriental State University, Balugo Elem. School, Zamboanguita Central Elem. School, Mayabon Elem. School)

• Davao del Sur (Ramon Magsaysay Elem. School, Damñas Elem. School, Sulop Central Elem. School, Talas Elem. School)

Meawhile, the following will have 6 voting centers each:

• Leyte (Panalaron Central School, Sto. Niño Central School, Baybay City Senior HS, Gaas Elem. School, Palompon South Central School, San Juan Community School)

• Maguindanao (Cotabato City Central Pilot School, Cotabato City HS, Shariff Aguak Central School, Labu-labu Elem. School, Pilot Elem, School, Digal Elem. School)

• NCR (Pateros National HS, P. Manalo Elem. School, Ususan Elem. School, Tenement Elem. School, Pasay West High School, P. Zamora Elem School)

Media, citizens arms, poll watchdogs and political party observers may witness the mock elections, provided they present a negative RT-PCR or antigen test result.

Similar to the Oct. 23 voting simulation exercise in San Juan City, mock voters must strictly observe minimum health standards.

They will be asked to undergo temperature scan upon entry at the voting center.

Voters registering temperature of at least 37.5 Celsius will be asked to rest for several minutes, after which a second scan shall be made.

If a voter’s temperature remains high, he or she will be led to an isolation polling place (IPP) to cast his/her vote.

• Comelec holds voting simulation for upcoming polls

IPPs will also be reserved for voters who shall be manifesting other COVID-19 symptoms.

Those who will be shading their ballots at the IPPs will be unable to feed the ballot into the vote-counting machine (VCM).

Their ballots will be brought to their respective polling places within the voting center instead by election personnel, so these may be fed into the appropriate clustered precinct’s VCM.

Voters with disabilities, the elderly and heavily pregnant women may vote at the designated accessible polling place (APP).

Each voting center will have a voter’s assistance desk.

Policemen and soldiers, if needed, will also be tasked to secure participating schools.

These regulations and measures will also be in effect on election day.

Comelec will use a "whopping 30-inches long" test ballot for the mock elections.

NOW: Comelec spox @jabjimenez holds press briefing regarding #Halalan2022 updates.

Nationwide mock elections on Dec. 29, Wednesday in the following areas:

• NCR (Pasay)
• Isabela
• Albay
• Negros Oriental
• Leyte
• Maguindanao
• Davao del Sur pic.twitter.com/QosTgKH0v2

— J. Villaruel (@jauhnetienne) December 27, 2021

"This is the test ballot for 2022; it is a whopping 30-inches long. Party-lists will be at the back… the mock elections will use fictitious names… so we will not be using the tentative list [of candidates],” said Comelec spokesman James Jimenez.

Once all votes are cast and counted in a clustered precinct, the VCM will print 8 copies of the election returns (ERs) prior to transmitting to the canvassing center. The remaining 22 copies of the ER will be printed post-transmission.

This feature, mandated by the Automation Law, is a transparency measure to ensure that transmittted results are the same as the total votes counted.

The canvassing process will also be tested, as one canvassing center will be put up in each province and the NCR.

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