Voting simulation for 2022 polls set Oct. 23

MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will conduct a voting simulation at the San Juan Elementary School in San Juan City on Saturday.

In an advisory on Thursday, Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said the event is part of their preparatory activities for the May 9, 2022 National and Local Elections (NLE).

The simulation will involve 3,564 test voters and will be using four classrooms as polling precincts, and three classrooms as holding areas. It will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Among the objectives of the simulation is to determine the average time frame in the verification process of the identity of the voters in the Election Day Computerized Voting List (EDCVL) based on 800 registered voters per clustered precinct.

This is to come up with proposals aimed to streamline the process of verification.

It also aims to identify other areas of concern or issues in the verification process, taking into consideration the minimum health and safety protocols; and to devise measures that will decongest polling places and implement procedures that will ensure completion of voting process in the shortest possible time.

All participants will be required to wear face mask and face shield while inside the voting center and polling place, while observing one-meter physical distancing and proper cough and sneezing etiquette at all times. There will be frequent disinfection of hands and frequently touched surfaces.

Plastic barriers will be installed while participants will undergo a body temperature check. Marshalls and medical personnel will also be deployed at the venue.

“While we definitely expect these health and safety protocols to impact voting hours and the number of voters that may be allowed to vote at a given time, we are confident that this activity will help us to streamline the overall voting experience,” Jimenez added.

During the simulation, a Voter’s Assistance Desk (VAD) for securing one’s precinct and sequence numbers will be installed.

Voters with a temperature higher than 37.5 degrees Celsius will be allowed to vote in an Isolation Polling Place (IPP).

There will also be an Emergency Accessible Polling Place (EAPP) for those in the vulnerable sector, such as persons with disability (PWDs), senior citizens, and pregnant women.