An official of the Commission on Election (Comelec) is pushing for the passage of a law allowing mail voting for vulnerable and marginalized sectors of society.
On Wednesday, Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guazon said she will back legislation that would allow senior citizens , persons with disabilities (PWD), pregnant women and Indigenous People to cast their votes via mail.
She made the remark in response to House Bill 7572 filed by Marikina (2nd District) Representative Stella Quimbo, which seeks to allow mail voting for senior citizens.
The poll official said such a law is now more important now amid the novel coronaviru disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
“Voting by mail will ensure voters’ access to elections with less risk of contamination during a pandemic . Korea has been doing voting by mail successfully for several national elections,” Guanzon said.
The poll official, however, noted that the success of the scheme will depend on the efficiency of the government’s mailing service through the Philippine Postal Corporation (Philpost).
She hopes the Senate and President Rodrigo R. Duterte will also see the value of the said policy and support its passage before the 2022 polls.
“If the President certifies it as urgent , it can be passed this year and A budget for preparations by Comelec can be provided for in 2021. We need a year to prepare,” Guanzon said.
She said the new scheme can be implemented in areas with large voting population such as the National Capital Region and the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, and Negros Occidental.