MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said the 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. of next year’s election day is allotted to senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWDs) and pregnant women.
Comelec chairman George Erwin Garcia said on Wednesday that the voting precincts will be exclusively available to persons meeting any of the three conditions.
However, the poll body official clarified that the seniors, PWDs, and pregnant women will still be allowed to cast their votes outside of the said two-hour window.
“All of the precincts in the entire Philippines would allow seniors, persons with disabilities, and pregnant women to exclusively vote from five o’clock in the morning until seven o’clock,” Garcia said.
The poll body had a test run of earlier voting for the senior citizens, PWDs, and pregnant women in some areas during the barangay and SK elections last year.
The Comelec anticipates around 12 million senior citizens and 600,000 PWDs who will vote in May 2025’s midterm elections nationwide, Garcia further said.
Senior citizens and PWDs will not be required to cast their votes in Emergency Accessible Polling Places (EAPP) or voting places temporarily established in a building used as a home or residence of PWDs and/or SCs.
Meanwhile, Garcia further said that the Comelec is making ita best to make the voting registration accessible for senior citizens and PWDs.
“How will they be able to go to the regular registration sites? It is very important to bring the registration to them,” Garcia said./PN
