Comelec eyes mail-in voting for senior citizens, PWDs amid COVID-19 threat

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is considering allowing postal voting or mail-in voting for senior citizens and persons with disability (PWDs) in 2022 elections amid the COVID-19 threat.

Interviewed on GMA News’ Unang Balita on Monday, Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said the procedure is currently being used for overseas voting only.

“In fact, ang postal voting o mail-in voting ginagawa na natin 'yan sa overseas voting. Ang gusto lang ng Comelec ay palawigin ito pata ma-include ang domestic voting,” Jimenez said.

“Mag-identify lang muna tayo siguro ng mga partikular na voters. Halimbawa, senior citizens or persons with disability na puwedeng gumamit ng mail-in voting,” he added.

According to Jimenez, a bill allowing mail-in voting for domestic voters has already been filed in Congress.

Aside from this, Jimenez said the commission is developing more expanded alternative modes of voting like online voting. However, he said the Comelec is still studying this voting procedure.

Despite the likely possibility that the pandemic will not be over by 2022, Jimenez said the poll body sees no reason not to push through with the elections.

Marikina City Representative Stella Quimbo has already filed House Bill 7572 authorizing the Comelec to allow senior citizens to vote by mail from their own homes amid the threat of COVID-19.

According to Quimbo, the lack of vaccine against or cure for COVID-19 in the future may stretch the pandemic for a long time, affecting the conduct of the elections in 2022.

Quimbo said other countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Australia, and New Zealand have already been practicing postal voting.

“’Yung mga bills naman na 'yan pending po 'yan sa Kongreso ngayon, siyempre pinag-aaralan po ang mga detalye n’yan. As far as the Comelec is concerned, handang-handa tayo tumulong sa pagsasagawa ng mga detalye ng proposal,” Jimenez said at the Laging Handa briefing.

Jimenez also said a whole-of-government approach should be implemented for alternative means of voting. —Joviland Rita and Virgil Lopez/KBK/RSJ, GMA News