COMELEC Commissioner Rowena Guanzon is pushing for advance voting for marginalized sectors of society and mobile app voting for overseas workers, in connection with the May 2022 elections.
Guanzon disclosed that she will propose to the Comelec en banc to allow first the Persons with Disability and Deprived of Liberties, senior citizens, Indigenous People and pregnant women, to vote first during the election, which she admitted may require a passage of a law, for its approval.
But Guanzon said she is optimistic that it will be passed by the Comelec en banc within two weeks’ time, which proposal will be forwarded to Senator Imee Marcos, who chairs the Senate electoral reforms, and the House of Representatives.
The Comelec already started the registration of voters for the 2022 elections, which will end September 30, 2021.
Guanzon, who attended the 46th Dinagsa Festival in Cadiz City, Negros Occidental, on Saturday, January 25 said that they are now focusing in the registration of marginalized sectors, such as PWDs, senior citizens, IPs and PDL, who are facing difficulties in going to the Comelec offices.
Election officers have been ordered by the Comelec en banc to establish satellite offices, or to conduct house-to-house campaign to the marginalized sectors, she added.
The next election is scheduled on May 9, 2022.
As to the mobile app voting, Guanzon said they are proposing to have its test run with Comelec employees in areas of the country, where the internet signal is strong, and with overseas workers in Singapore, maybe by March or April in 2020.
She also reiterated her appeal for qualified voters to register early, and avoid the rush hour. At the same time, Guanzon stressed that there will be no extension in the registration of voters, as they want to avoid the delay in printing of ballots.
Guanzon also warned those fake party-list groups, who may seek accreditation that she will not hesitate to deny their application immediately.
“If somebody files a petition on the ground that it is not really authentic or genuine party-list groups, I am willing to hear the cancellation case,” Guanzon, the presiding officer of Comelec First Division, said.
She vowed to push for her two proposals before retiring on February 2022, barely three months before the May elections.