Comelec says voting hours in 2019 polls extended

MANILA, Philippines — For the May 2019 midterm polls, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has decided to extend the voting period by one hour or from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. to “accommodate voters.”

In an interview, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said the time extension is needed as the 58 million voters in 2016 will increase to approximately 61 million.

Jimenez said the number of vote counting machines (VCMs) will remain the same “so we are anticipating that there might be some queuing” because each VCM can accommodate a maximum of 1,000 voters.

Based on Comelec Resolution No. 10460, the voting hours shall be from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. In the 2016 polls, it was from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The poll body noted that as a policy, voters who have not yet cast their votes but are 30 meters from the polling place by 6 p.m. of election day shall still be allowed to vote.

However, the poll clerks will have to make a list of these voters who will be called three times in the order that they are listed.  

Voters who will not respond to the call will no longer be allowed to vote.

The resolution showed that election officers in each city and municipality will have to constitute and appoint the electoral board for each clustered precinct not later than Jan. 31, 2019.  

Each election board shall be composed of a chairperson, a poll clerk and a third member.