COMELEC-13 to implement mall voting for 2025 elections
By Remel
Vincent E. Lagumbay
BUTUAN CITY — To enhance efficiency and accessibility for voters on the upcoming National and Local Elections (NLE) for the year 2025, Atty. Geraldine C. Samson, assistant regional election director of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Caraga revealed that voting centers set up in shopping malls will be implemented in the region, during her appearance at the recently conducted Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas in coordination with Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Caraga.
Atty. Samson shared that voting precincts of certain barangays will be relocated from traditional polling sites in elementary schools to nearby shopping malls in response to a survey carried out to the voters.
“We are very much happy to announce to the Caraganons, especially the Butuanons, that we will have mall voting for the voters of Brgy. Tandang Sora, they will not be voting anymore at Butuan Central Elementary School, their voting center will be at SM City Butuan,” said Atty. Samson.
“Per requirement, nakapasar kita, nakasulod kita sa process sa pagahimoon nga mall voting para sa mga botante sa Brgy. Tandang Sora,” she added.
When asked on the prioritization of senior citizens, and persons with disabilities(PWDs) in the process of mall voting, Samson ensured that the schedule of voting hours will be adjusted to address the vulnerable sectors.
“Aduna kita’y pagahimoon nga priority voting. Regularly, nagasugod atong pagbutar at 7:00 a.m., but for the priority voters, pagahimoon ug sugdan ang atong voting at 5:00 a.m. for them, in all voting centers and precincts,” Samson said.
Piloted in selected malls last 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE), COMELEC designed the initiative on ng mall voting to offer a more convenient and comfortable voting experience for citizens, reducing the congestion typically seen in school-based polling stations, making the electoral process smoother and more efficient.
With 2025 NLE in the pipeline, COMELEC anticipated that the mall-based voting will encourage greater voter turnout nationwide as the number of malls participating increased to over 50 from 12 that piloted last elections. (RVEL/PIA-Caraga)
