Comelec: Massive turnout of seniors, PWD calls for new law on special voting schedule
CNN Philippines correspondent Paige Javier contributed to this report.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 30) — The massive turnout of senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWD) in the early voting opened for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) shows that a new law on a special voting period should be established, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said on Monday.
Comelec Chairman George Garcia said the agency is pushing for an early voting law to allow the more vulnerable sectors to register and vote at an earlier schedule ahead of the public.
“‘Yun ang kadahilanan kaya pinu-push ng Comelec ang Early Voting Law, makakapag-register kayo ng mas maaga. Pag nag-register ng mas maaga, alam namin kung saan kayo boboto o kung kayo ba ay boboto sa isang linggo bago mag eleksyon,” Garcia told reporters.
[Translation: That’s the reason why Comelec is pushing for the Early Voting Law, so you can register earlier. By registering earlier, we’d know where you will vote or if you will vote the week before the election.]
The Comelec chief apologized to the seniors and PWDs who were inconvenienced by signing some documents before they were able to vote.
“Pasensya na po kayo pero ‘yun po yung isa sa mga tinitignan natin dito sa pilot testing natin — ano ‘yung mga adjustment. First time po natin itong ginawa,” he said.
“Wag po kayo mag alala, sa susunod na gagawin na nating nationwide yan, mawawala yang mga ganyang klase na papeles or dokumento,” the chief added.
[Translation: I’m sorry, but that’s one of the things we’re looking at in our pilot testing — what are the adjustments. It’s the first time we’ve done this. Don’t worry, the next time we do it nationwide, there would be no need for those kinds of papers or documents.]
Garcia said senior citizens had trouble voting in Emergency Accessible Polling Places (EAPP) as they had to sign a waiver to allow their ballots to be brought from their precinct.
He added that some of them have difficulty waiting in long queues under the heat of the sun.
“Dapat talaga early voting sa kanila. Malamig pa ang panahon hindi pa maiinit. At nauuna sila, exclusive sa kanila. Sadya po na kapag sinabay sila, yan po yung nakikita niyo ngayon…kaawa-awa ‘yung kanilang kalagayan. Napakalimitado yung kanilang kilos,” he said.
[Translation: There should really be early voting for them, when it is still cold and not hot. And they should be first, it’s exclusive to them. If you make them vote along with everyone else, this is what happens. You pity their condition. Their movement is very limited.]
Garcia also suggested including members of the media, teachers or poll volunteers, and officials from the Philippine National Police in the proposed early voting law.
Meanwhile, Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting national coordinator Arwin Serrano told CNN Philippines they would be pushing to have more EAPP help vulnerable voters.
“Baka puwede na nating gawin to for 2025 na gawing dalawang presinto na kasi marami rin nag-a-avail dito most especially from the PWD and senior citizens,” Serrano said.
[Translation: Maybe in 2025 we can have two precincts because many are using this, especially PWDs and senior citizens.]
The pilot test for early voting took place only in Muntinlupa and Naga City from 5 to 7 a.m.
Garcia said Muntinlupa had 51,515 senior voters and 2,179 PWDs. He earlier said they chose the city for the test run due to the size of its vulnerable sector.
Data released by Comelec-NCR showed 1,177 PWDs and 13,768 senior citizens turned out for early voting in Muntinlupa.
In Naga City, the poll body recorded 594 PWDs and 7,732 senior citizens who voted in the recent village and youth polls.
“We we’re hoping na sa unang dalawang oras na ‘yan mas nauna na sila makaboboto at maayos ang pagkaboto nila,” Garcia said.
Millions of registered Filipinos flocked to schools and precincts to cast their votes for the BSKE on Monday, with Comelec saying the first hour of voting was generally peaceful.
