The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is open to conducting special elections in Shanghai, where Overseas Voting (OV) remains suspended.
Comelec Office for Overseas Voting (OFOV) head Commissioner Marlon S. Casquejo said this was among the options they are considering if the lockdown in the city will last beyond the May 9, 2022 polls.
“If the lockdown is lifted after the elections, we are justified to conduct a special election to those areas where voting was suspended,” Casquejo told reporters during an interview last Mon.
The Chinese government imposed a lockdown in Shanghai to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases in the said city.
This prevented the Philippine post in Shanghai from initiating the OV in the city, where there are 1,900 registered voters.
The voting in Shanghai should be done in person.
Casquejo said the special election in Shanghai could delay the proclamation of seats for party-list groups, where such a large number of votes will have a big impact.
But the poll official said the special polls will unlikely affect the impact for presidential, vice presidential, and the senate race in the 2022 polls, where the leads between opposing candidates usually exceed over 1,900.