THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) is looking at the nationwide implementation of mall voting and early voting hours as ways to address the expected extreme heat during the May 2025 midterm polls.
Elections chairman George Garcia said they are looking at the twin innovations, which were pilot tested during the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections, as strategies to help the public avoid voting under dangerous heat indexes.
“If we feel this heat now, it will most likely be the same next year. The elderly, persons with disability may feel exhausted. It’s better if we allow them to vote early,” said Garcia.
“Mall voting is another method so that the people can have the option considering the hot weather. In malls, there is air-conditioning so the voting experience will be better, cooler, better environment,” he added.
Garcia issued the statement amid the continuously extremely hot weather and high heat indexes being recorded by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) across the country over the past weeks.
The extreme heat has already prompted the cancellation of face-to-face classes, as well as the adjustment of working hours in local government offices.
But according to Garcia, the early voting hours will not be forced to voters as they can still elect to vote as regular voters for the rest of the Election Day.
“That is just optional. If they don’t want to vote between 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. since they wake up late, that’s okay. They can still cast their votes,” he said.
He also said the adoption of mall voting will be decided upon by majority of the voters in affected barangays.
“There is a process. There will be consultation. If majority of the residents refuse to transfer their polling precincts, then we won’t transfer them. But if majority will prefer the transfer, then we will transfer them to malls,” said Garcia.
During the 2023 BSKE, persons with disability, senior citizens, and heavily pregnant women in Naga City and Muntinlupa City were allowed to vote between 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. as part of the pilot testing of the Comelec.
Also during the 2023 village and youth polls, the Comelec pilot tested mall voting in 10 shopping malls in the country, majority of which were in Metro Manila.
