BAGUIO CITY (PIA) – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is committed to providing a more inclusive and accessible experience to the vulnerable sector.
The Comelec is now preparing the priority polling places (PPP) for senior citizens and persons with disability (PWDs) for the May 12 national and local elections.
According to Comelec-Cordillera Assistant Regional Director Vanessa Roncal, PPPs will be established in some schools in Tuba, Atok, and Kibungan in the province of Benguet. Some schools in Apayao will also have their priority polling places.
The priority polling place will be on the ground floor of polling precincts located on the second or third floor or near the gate of the poll centers. Senior citizens or PWDs who opt not to go up or walk to vote in their regular polling precincts may vote at the PPP.
However, in the PPP, the voters will not be able to personally feed their ballots to the automated counting machine (ACM).
“Ang setback lang naman ng PPP ay hindi nila mai-feed ‘yung kanilang ballots mismo sa ACM because they will be authorizing the electoral board to do it for them,” Election Officer Attorney John Paul Martin said.
Martin said this is similar to the Emergency Accessible Polling Precinct (EAPP) that Comelec implemented in the 2016, 2019, and 2022 elections.
He shared that many voters availed of the EAPP in 2016, few voters in 2019, and no one availed in 2022.
“They want to feel na sila mismo ang mag-feed ng ballot, and sila mismo ang makakabasa ng resibo,” Martin said.
Comelec-CAR Regional Director Attorney Julius Torres explained that the priority polling place was based on the assessment of who wanted to avail of this service.
“Ang initiative na may PPP tayo is for cases lang na kung ayaw talaga nilang umakyat, ayaw nilang maglakad, ito lang, at least, may choice sila,” he said.
Torres also clarified that the PPP is also an option for the senior citizens and PWDs, and they are not mandated to go to the priority polling places. They may go up or walk to the regular polling precincts to cast their vote and feed their own ballot to the ACM.
The priority polling places will be open from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM.(DEG-PIA CAR)
