Baguio: The Commission on Elections' (Comelec) regional Early Voting Task Force (TF) has called on members of vulnerable sectors to take advantage of early voting hours from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. This initiative is designed to provide a more convenient voting experience for senior citizens, pregnant women, and persons with disabilities (PWDs).
According to Philippines News Agency, lawyer Elenita Tabangin-Capuyan, head of the regional Early Voting TF, announced during a press conference that the commission, after recognizing the benefits of early voting in 2023, decided to expand the system nationwide. Initially piloted in a single city during the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Election, the early voting system will now be available in all polling precincts. The initiative aims to help these vulnerable groups avoid long queues and exposure to heat.
Tabangin-Capuyan explained that under this scheme, senior citizens, pregnant women, and PWDs, along with their companions or assistors, can vote early. An assistor, if needed, must be within the fourth degree of consanguinity, reside in the same household, and agree to sign a confidentiality document.
Lawyer Julius Torres, Comelec-CAR director, highlighted that this new process prioritizes vulnerable voters, allowing them to participate in the electoral process with ease. They will have the same opportunity as other voters to feed their ballots into the automatic counting machine and view the results on the screen.
Priority voting will also be implemented in the municipalities of Atok, Tuba, and Kibungan in Benguet, as well as an undisclosed town in Apayao, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Lawyer Vanessa Roncal, assistant regional director of Comelec-CAR, noted that these locations were selected based on the number of vulnerable sector members. Under this scheme, the electoral board will assist by feeding ballots into the machine after voters shade them.
Lawyer John Paul Martin, election officer of Baguio, noted that when the Priority Polling Precinct (PPP) was known as the Emergency Accessible Polling Place, participation was limited. He suggested that many voters prefer to personally feed their ballots into the machine, reflecting their candidate choices.