Low turnout seen for proposed early voting

CEBU, Philippines — Low turnout of voters is possible to happen if bills seeking early voting of senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs) in next year's elections are passed.

So said lawyer Marco Castillano, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Cebu provincial election supervisor.

"But hopefully ang problema ra man gud ana is if mapangitaan og paagi basin mapareha na sa local absentee voting nga national ra sad ang mabotaran. If national ray mabotaran daghan kaayo senior citizen nga dili mo avail ana," he said.

Absentee voting is an electoral process that enables police, military, teachers and media who cannot appear at their designated polling places to vote from another location. Only candidates for national posts – president, vice president, senators and party-list representative – could be voted upon by the absentee voters.

There are at least 11 measures filed in the House of Representatives seeking to allow senior citizens and PWDs to vote early or vote by mail amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

One was filed by Rep. Ronnie Ong (Ang Probinsyano party-list). He is pushing for seniors and PWDs to be able to vote a month ahead of election day in 2022, in anticipation that the coronavirus pandemic will still persist until then.

Aside from being allowed to vote early, the proposal also provides an option for the Commission on Elections to allow mail-in voting for senior citizens and PWDs.

“There is now a very compelling reason to… urgently develop a new normal of voting for our senior citizens and PWDs and protect their right to vote while also promoting their health and safety,” Ong said in filing House Bill No. 7868.

Sen. Imee Marcos, on the other hand, has filed a similar measure in the upper chamber.

If seniors and PWDs would only be allowed to vote for national posts, Castillano said the seniors and PWDs might not participate and exercise their right to suffrage.

He said registered seniors and PWDs are receiving cash aid and other forms of assistance from their respective local government units (LGUs).

"Ang nag encourage sa mga senior citizen to vote gawas sa ilang patriotism nga ganahan gyud sila mobotar is the benefits that they derive from the LGUs.”

"Unfortunately these benefits were tied by the LGU sa ilang pag botar. Although wala moingon ang LGU nga mao ni ang botare, basta mobotar ka lang pag election,” said Castillano.

There are 508,366 registered voters—488,439 seniors and 19,927 PWDs—in the province as of April 19, 2021.

Castillano hopes legislators would act on the bills early to give Comelec enough time to prepare for the polls.

"Kun naa lay balaod, ipatuman na namo kay angayan man sad gyud nga ang atong mga senior citizen makasyao og botar....ang amo lang nga dalion sab na nila kay nag sugod na baya ang preparation sa Comelec. Maapiki na nya mi sa panahon, kung adto na pud sa duol na sa election na nila ipasar.  Give us enough time and we will do it,” he said. —KQD (FREEMAN)