2 million people eyed to vote in shopping malls

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) expects at least two million people to cast their votes at shopping malls in the May 9, 2016 polls, Chairman Andres Bautista said yesterday.

Bautista said the poll body is still doing precinct mapping to determine the public schools that could be covered by mall voting.

“The voters that will be covered by mall voting are those who vote in public schools near the barangay where a mall is located. Right now, the Comelec is trying to identify these barangays and schools,” he said in a press briefing at the Robinsons Magnolia mall in Quezon City.

Bautista and Robinsons officials have organized a walk through for the media of the mock setup for mall voting at Robinsons Magnolia to show how the elections would be conducted there next year.

The poll chief explained the step-by-step process of voting, from the time the voters check their names on the precinct’s computerized voter’s list until they exit the polling precincts after voting.

“This is still a mock up. We are still fine-tuning, so any suggestions and any observations that you may have are welcome because we would like to improve on the way we do things. This is just the start and I’m sure other mall-partners will also be providing their suggestions,” he added.

For her part, Arlene Magtibay, senior vice president and Robinsons Mall general manager, has given assurance that Robinsons malls are supportive of Comelec not only when it comes to mall voting but the satellite registration as well.

“We are proud to be a partner of Comelec for the coming May elections. I think you already know that Robinsons, for many months, has been a venue for registration for new voters as well as biometrics for existing voters,” she said.

Magtibay added that in next year’s elections, all of the 33 Robinsons malls are prepared to be venues for polling precincts, “needless to say this will result in more comfortable voting experience for people who live in the vicinity of these malls.”

It was Robinsons malls that first responded when Comelec called for private establishments to host satellite registration and mall voting.

According to Bautista, mall voting is legal under the Constitution and the Omnibus Election Code, which allow the Comelec to determine the location of polling places.

He said the Comelec is required to hold hearings with political parties and affected voters that would be conducted in November.

Last-minute registrants 

With exactly a week left before the Oct. 31 deadline for voter’s registration, Bautista said most local offices of the Comelec and satellite registration centers in participating shopping malls have been jampacked with registrants.

Bautista said the poll body, however, is not inclined to extend the voter’s registration that started in May 2014.