The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will implement an “early voting hours” policy for the 2025 midterm and Bangsamoro parliamentary elections, following successful pilot testing in the previous year’s barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.
Comelec Chairman George Garcia announced that vulnerable sectors, including the elderly, persons with disabilities, and pregnant women, will have the opportunity to vote exclusively from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m.
This initiative is designed to minimize their wait times and avoid the heat and crowds typically later in the day.
While Garcia noted that the proposed law for early voting has yet to be passed, he emphasized the positive feedback received during the pilot test, where senior citizens began lining up as early as 3 a.m.
The early voting hours were previously tested in Naga City and Muntinlupa City, allowing vulnerable voters to participate more comfortably.
Source: PhilNews24 | September 21, 2024
