Comelec seeks more spacious, comfortable polling places

To provide the public, especially the vulnerable sectors, with ease of voting, the Commission on Elections is looking at transferring polling places to more spacious and comfortable venues.

- By RHODINA VILLANUEVA

Comelec Chairman George Garcia has instructed local Comelec offices to start looking for possible polling places that will provide the voters a "greater voting experience" in future elections.

"What we are saying here is if there is a better place where people can go to vote like in a gymnasium, let's use these kinds of facilities," said Garcia on the sidelines of the launch of TV5's network program "The Grill" on Saturday.

"Because if we just remain using (elementary school buildings in) barangays, the classrooms and chairs there are small but tall and big people are the ones to use it, then the facilities will easily be damaged. We should now find other areas that are relatively comfortable for the voters, for them to have this ‘greater voting experience,’” he added.

According to Garcia, greater voting experience means being comfortable when voting.

“What usually happens is that it is very hot inside a small room where voters flock and there are also watchers staying inside. That is why we already ventured into mall voting nationwide,” said Garcia.

He again reminded that for the May 12 elections, the elderly, pregnant women and persons with disabilities can choose to participate in early voting from 5 to 7 a.m.

“However, even if they can vote at the emergency accessible polling places like on the ground floor, they would still have to pass through narrow streets or areas where there are stairs. If we say we are friendly to vulnerable sectors, they should be provided the ease of voting, facility-wise and as to the time they are inside polling precincts,” Garcia explained.

He added that an alternative for the present voting centers is any public place stated in the law.