3,000 polling places for elderly in midterm elections – Comelec

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections said around 3,000 polling places dedicated to senior citizens will be put up for the 2025 midterm elections.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia said there will be close to 3,000 emergency accessible polling precincts (EAPP) that will be made available for the use of the elderly who will exercise their right to vote in next year’s elections.

“We will provide the elderly with these emergency accessible polling precincts. They should not be made to go up to the second or third floor of the building or classroom anymore. We will have them vote on the ground floor, so there is no need for them to climb up,” Garcia said in an interview.

He added that the ballot will be given to them by poll workers.

“The poll clerk would just have to get it from the assigned precinct of the elderly. After accomplishing it, it will then be returned by the poll worker to the precinct of the senior citizen who voted,” Garcia explained.

Apart from the country’s senior citizens, the EAPP also targets to benefit other members of the vulnerable sector, such as persons with disabilities (PWDs) and pregnant women.

The poll chief noted that voting inside the EAPP has no time limit.

“Of course, we understand the elderly, the PWDs and the pregnant women, they can’t be made to act fast inside the polling precinct so they can take their time,” he said.

Garcia also said that even in the case of other voters, they will not be forced to be quick in accomplishing their respective ballots.

“There is nothing that can stop a voter who chooses to sit longer while shading the ballot. We are not imposing time limitation for our voters,” he added.

The Comelec earlier said the poll body expects some 12 million senior citizens and 600,000 PWDs to vote in the May 2025 midterm elections nationwide.