THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has designated two hours in the morning exclusively for senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWD), and pregnant women to cast their votes for the 2025 midterm elections, Comelec chairman George Garcia said Wednesday, March 13, 2024.
In an interview with reporters in Quezon City, Garcia said that from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m., only senior citizens, PWDs, and pregnant women would be allowed to cast their votes at all polling precincts nationwide, segregating them from the larger crowd.
However, he said this does not mean that they will no longer be allowed to vote beyond the said hours.
“Lahat po ng mga presinto sa buong Pilipinas boboto ang mga nakatatanda, may mga kapansanan at nagdadalang tao ng 5 a.m. hanggang 7 a.m., exclusive sa kanila,” said Garcia.
(All precincts across the Philippines will allow the elderly, persons with disabilities, and pregnant women to vote exclusively from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m.)
“Pero hindi po nangangahulugan na kung ayaw man ng iba na bumoto ng ganung oras pwede pa rin silang bumoto sa regular na oras po,” he added.
(But it does not mean that if others do not want to vote at that time, they can still vote during the regular hours.)
Garcia said senior citizens and PWDs are also being given the option to cast their votes in Emergency Accessible Polling Places (EAPP), which are situated on the ground floor of the polling precincts.
The Comelec said around 12 million senior citizens and 600,000 PWDs will exercise their right to suffrage during the midterm polls in May 2025.
Garcia noted the importance of bringing voter registration closer to the people as he led the opening of Special Satellite Registration for Senior Citizens and PWDs in Quezon City.
As of Wednesday, Garcia said 1.3 million new voters have registered ahead of the upcoming election.
“It appears that we will be exceeding our estimate of 3 million,” he said.
The voter registration will run until September 30. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)