Congress urged to pass early voting law for 2022 polls

An official of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Sunday called on Congress to amend the local absentee law or pass a measure on early voting so that vulnerable sectors would be allowed to cast their votes ahead of the May 9, 2022 national elections.

This, in the assumption that the COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing by the time Filipinos elect their new leaders next year.

In a Dobol B sa News TV interview, Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon said she has already talked to Senator Imee Marcos, chair of the Senate electoral reforms panel, about amending the Local Absentee Act, which allows certain sectors like the media, police, and teachers to cast their votes early so that they can perform their duties during election day.

"Kung puwede nilang i-amend 'yan para 'yung mga PWD, elderly, mga pregnant women, mga indigenous people, people who are in jail can vote early. Puwedeng i-amend 'yan, mabilis lang 'yung amendment," she said.

Alternatively, Guanzon said Congress may approve an Early Voting Act, which also essentially allows voters from vulnerable sectors to vote ahead of the election day itself.

Such measure, she said, would reduce the expected volume of people gathering in voting precincts during election day, hence minimizing the chances of COVID-19 transmission.

"Let's say 61 million [ang voting population]. Dapat one-fourth man lang niyan vulnerable groups ay magaan-gaan na ang trabaho, at 'yung mga tao makakaboto talaga," Guanzon said.

Several measures have been proposed in Congress to allow Filipino voters to cast their votes in the 2022 elections while guaranteeing their safety against COVID-19, including the one put forth by Marikina City Representative Stella Quimbo to allow "postal voting" for senior citizens.

Guanzon, however, expressed reservations on the proposed mail voting, citing possible election fraud.

"'Yung voting by mail, medyo delikado 'yun e. Hindi ako sure. Although I spoke with Chairman [Norman] Fulgencio of PHLPost, kaya naman daw nila with their new infrastructure na machines," she said.

"Pero hindi ako [pabor] doon sa voting by mail, kasi alam mo naman ang mga Pilipino masyadong enterprising, baka maharang ang mga balota," she added.

What the Comelec is doing, for now, is adding more vote counting machines and voting precincts to manage the flow of people during election day, Guanzon said.

"Ang problem ngayon kapag may pandemic, social distancing, medyo slow motion ang mga tao. So talagang dadagdagan natin ang mga vote counting machines at dagdagan din natin ang presinto," she said.

"[Pero] ang solusyon talaga diyan, early voting ng vulnerable sectors. Kailangan talaga ang Kongreso, sana ipasa nila 'yung batas tsaka iakyat kay Presidente, certify as urgent, para mapasa na 'yan this year, let's say within six months," she added.

Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez earlier said they are considering banning face-to-face campaigning for the 2022 elections as the country still struggles with the COVID-19 pandemic. —KG, GMA News