Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 30) — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is pushing for more mall precincts and a “special general registration” for the next polls to improve the voting experience of Filipinos.
On Monday’s Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE), 11 malls served as pilot venues for mall voting. Eight mall precincts were in Metro Manila, one in Albay, and two in Cebu City.
When asked about possible improvements in conducting the next elections, Comelec chairperson George Garcia said it’s “high time” to find other free places such as malls, and “abandon the schools as polling places.”
“Meron silang survey forms, kung mababasa niyo ang comments ng mga kababayan natin na: ‘This (mall voting) is a very good experience, bakit hindi pa ginawa dati to?’” Garcia told reporters in a briefing.
[Translation: Mall precincts have survey forms and there are comments that read: “This is a very good experience, why have not we done this before?”]
Garcia added the Comelec is also studying the creation of voting booths so that citizens will not use small chairs and tables in public schools serving as polling places. Voting booths were used in mall precincts.
In another briefing, Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco said the poll body is considering the broader implementation of mall voting in the 2025 midterm elections.
“Ang lahat ng ito ay [All of this is] at no cost to the Comelec and the government,” Laudiangco said, explaining that all expenses were shouldered by partner malls.
The poll body is also urging Congress to pass an early voting law to allow vulnerable sectors to register and vote earlier.
‘Special general registration’
Garcia also suggested conducting a “special general registration” to cleanse the voters list for the national elections as there were recurring complaints that voters could not see their names in the voters’ list in polling precincts.
“For the 2028 elections, bakit hindi natin i-annul ‘yong list of voters sa buong bansa? Magpa-special general registration tayo kahit isang buwan, kaya namin ‘yon, 2026 natin gawin, preparatory sa 2028,” he explained.
[Translation: For the 2028 elections, what if we annul the list of voters? Let’s conduct a special general registration for a month, we can do that in 2026 as preparatory for 2028.]
But he noted that the conduct of special general registration would need additional budget.
Garcia also said the poll body wants a 1:1 ratio or one staffer per polling precinct.
Some support staff reportedly had to collect multiple ballots of vulnerable sectors in precincts on the upper floors of schools, causing delays to voting as each Department of Education Supervising Officials only have one staffer.
Garcia explained if there were 202,000 polling precincts nationwide, it would translate to 202,000 support staff that would be compensated with ₱5,000, needing ₱1 billion more.
Teachers quit as BSKE poll workers
Comelec and education officials are also set to deliberate on teachers who backed out as poll workers, Garcia said.
According to the Comelec chief, most of the teachers who backed out were from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao; at least 2,530 teachers did not serve on Election Day.
RELATED: 29 Abra teachers quit as BSKE poll workers – Comelec
“Sa Bangsamoro, ‘yong gusto ng ilang nag-withdraw ay bumalik,” he said. “Pinandigan ng (Comelec) en banc hindi tayo urong-sulong dito, ang maglilingkod sa mga nagwithdraw na mga lugar ay PNP (Philippine National Police) personnel pa rin.”
[Translation: In Bangsamoro, some of those who withdrew want to serve again. Comelec en banc stood by its decision that PNP personnel will serve as electoral boards.]
