MANILA—The mall voting project in 101 barangays all over the country for the May 9 national and local polls will push through, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said.
According to Comelec Chairman Juan Andres Bautista the commission en banc has approved the transfer of 337 clustered precincts to 80 malls, involving 231,174 regular voters.
“We have this March 10 Minute Resolution from the Comelec en banc allowing the transfer of clustered precincts to participating malls,” he said.
At the same time, the poll body chief noted that he has been given the authority to enter into the necessary Memoranda of Agreement (MOA) with officials of participating malls, by the en banc.
Earlier, Bautista cited Article IX-C, Section 2 (3) of the 1987 Constitution as well as Sections 153 and 154 of the Omnibus Election Code (OEC) as giving the Comelec the power to determine and designate the polling places.
Minute Resolution 16-0152 has the final data on the transfer of clustered precincts to participating malls.
The ruling approved the transfer of a total 126 clustered precincts in 35 barangays with 87,423 voters to 27 SM malls and to 20 Robinson’s Malls hosting 60,486 registered voters from 89 clustered precincts in 24 barangays.
Registered voters numbering to 34,868 from 52 clustered precincts in 17 barangays will be voting in 14 Ayala Malls. Five WalterMart malls will host 16 clustered precincts from five barangays with a total of 11,746 registered voters.
A total of 11,602 voters from 18 clustered precincts in seven barangays are set to be transferred to three Pacific Malls while voters from 15 clustered precincts from seven barangays with 10,630 registered voters are set to be transferred to five Gaisano Grand Malls.
Meanwhile, three City Malls will be accommodating 4,087 registered voters from six clustered precincts from three barangays. A total of 4,272 registered voters from six clustered precincts in one barangay will be transferred to one Sta. Lucia Mall.
Seven clustered precincts from one barangay with a total of 5,212 voters will be voting in the lone Fisher Mall while a total of 848 registered voters in two clustered precincts from one barangay are set to vote at the CB Mall.
Bautista added that they will inform voters about their transfer to the malls.
“We are already in the process of informing these voters,” he said.