ELEKSYON 2022

500 to 600 voters per precinct ideal amid COVID-19 pandemic –ex-poll official

The ratio of voters per clustered precinct in Eleksyon 2022 should be around 500 to 600 per clustered precinct given the COVID-19 pandemic, former Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Luie Guia said Friday.

Guia, who is now affiliated with the civil society arm Democratic Insights Group, made the response to a query on what would be the ideal ratio for a pandemic-proof May 9, 2022 elections.

"Under Republic Act 8189, the maximum number of voters per precinct is at 200, but that is for a manual election. The way we did it during automated election way back in 2016, we were targeting 500 to 600 per clustered precinct. That is the ideal [number of voters per] one optical scanning machine to count the vote," Guia said during a forum on COVID-proofing the 2022 polls hosted by the De La Salle University Institute of Governance.

"With one optical scanner [per precinct], there were several people who will line up, so that [ratio] is my estimate," Guia added.

Cavite Representative Elpidio Barzaga, Vice Chairman of the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on the Automated Election System, did not give an estimate when it came to an ideal ratio of voters per clustered precinct but recognized that the 2019 ratio of 1,000 voters per clustered precinct was unlikely given the pandemic.

Barzaga cited the experience of the Palawan plebiscite in which only 200 voters were allowed per clustered precinct to ensure a smooth referendum.

"For the 2022 elections, we would have around 63,000 clustered precincts. Voter turnout in the last elections was at 81% and we would not know if the 81% will remain in 2022 given that there is a need to conduct a time and motion study," Barzaga said.

"The Palawan plebiscite wherein the no vote [to divide the province] won only had 200 persons per clustered precinct, and they only needed to answer one question, yes or no. There will also be around 700 candidates listed on our ballot. But then again, this Palawan plebiscite is a manual election," Barzaga added.

The Palawan plebiscite had a 60% voter turnout amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Lawyer Ona Caritos of election watchdog Legal Network for Truthful Elections or LENTE, for her part, suggested that the Comelec reschedule the December 29 mock polls for a higher turnout and better assessment of how to conduct May 2022 polls safely amid the pandemic.

"A lot of people are on vacation around that time [of December 29]. Maybe the Comelec can reschedule the mock polls to the first or second week of January so that more people will be able to participate," she added.

Comelec had conducted mock polls in San Juan last October 23 which involved around 4,000 people. — DVM, GMA News