House OKs bill on early voting

MANILA, Philippines - The House of Representatives has approved on second reading a bill allowing voters to cast their votes earlier than the date set for an election.

House Bill 4307, authored by Representatives Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro City and his brother Maximo, who represents the party-list group Abante Mindanao, allows any registered voter to vote at the polling place within 14 working days before a national or local election.

The Cagayan de Oro congressman said the measure seeks to do away with most of the election day problems voters encounter, like confusion and crowding in voting centers that most often result in their failure to vote.

Early voting will greatly decongest polling centers on election day, making the balloting process more orderly and allowing more voters to cast their ballots, he said.

He said early voting is already allowed under the law for certain voters like soldiers and teachers.

He added that there have been proposals to give the same privilege to other groups like media practitioners.

Rodriguez cited the experience in the United States, where some states allow early voting.

“Their experience is that early voting makes it easier for registered voters to vote. It increases the turnout,” he said.

He said early voting in 24 US states had increased voter turnout by at least six percent.

“We could attain a bigger increase here considering that a large percentage of our voters fail to vote on election day due to numerous problems that we could avoid if we allow early voting,” he said.

The committee on suffrage and electoral reform endorsed the Rodriguezes’ bill.

The House has also approved several other bills, including the proposed Anti-Terrorist Financing Act, which classifies financing terrorism as a crime separate from terrorism.

The approved measures also include a bill containing minor changes in the Anti-Money Laundering Law.