Comelec cites benefits of mall voting

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Saturday cited the benefits of mall voting as the poll body looks to implementing it for the vulnerable sectors in the upcoming 2025 midterm elections.

“Hindi po kinakailangan magpa-special registration. Ang ginawa po ng Comelec nung nagsagawa po nung nakaraan ng mall voting nung [Sangguniang Kabataan elections], nag-pilot test tayo mayroon munang consultation sa mga barangay na nakapaligid sa mall kung pumapayag sila na ilipat ang kanilang boto mula dun sa eskwelahan kung saan sila dati bumoboto papunta po dito sa mall (No special registration required. During the previous mall voting for the Sangguniang Kabataan elections, Comelec conducted a pilot test with consultations in the barangays surrounding the mall to see if they agreed to transfer voting records from their previous school polling places to the mall),” Comelec Chairperson George Garcia explained.

“Kung ayaw po nila, wala po tayong magagawa. Hindi po natin sila pwedeng pwersahin na ilipat po ang kanilang mga boto. Kaya lang sadyang sayang. Kasi pag may mall, medyo malamig. Maayos ang pagboto. Pagkatapos bumoto, pwedeng mag-shopping o kaya bago bumoto pwedeng magpasyal-pasyal muna (If they don’t want to transfer their records, that’s okay. We can’t force them to. But it would be a missed opportunity. Malls are cool and comfortable for voting. After voting, they can go shopping, or they can explore the mall before voting),” Garcia added.

Garcia noted that the adoption of mall voting will be decided upon by the majority of the voters in the affected barangays.

“Yung mga local Comelec natin doon at mga teacher, i-inform na [sa mall] na ang pagboto nila (Local Comelec offices and teachers will inform voters that they could vote in malls there),” he added.

He also mentioned that discussions have taken place with higher officials of SM Supermalls, Robinsons, and Megaworld.

“Nakakatuwa kasi libre po nilang ipinagkakaloob ang mga espasyo sa malls (I’m happy because they are offering the spaces inside their malls for free),” he said.

The poll body piloted mall voting during the 2023 Barangay and Sanggunian Kabataan Elections in 10 shopping centers in the country.

Persons with disability, senior citizens, and pregnant women in Naga City and Muntinlupa were allowed to vote early.

Mall voting is between 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.