Namfrel pushes for mobile voting

source: mb.com.ph

MANILA, Philippines- The National Citizens Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) has called on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to adopt more practical voting procedures to enable persons unable to go to the polls, such as persons with disabilties (PWDs) and senior citizens, to vote.

The poll watchdog cited “Mobile Polling Station” and “Postal Voting” which are already being done in other countries.

Damaso Magbual, Namfrel National Council member, said a Mobile Polling Station proved to be very beneficial to the disabled and sick, and others who are physically unfit to go to the polling places in some Asian countries that do not even have a long history of elections such as Indonesia and Kazakhstan.

“If Indonesia with its vaunted 17,500 islands and Kazakhstan which has a land area more than nine times the Philippines can have mobile polling stations, why can’t we? Did we not try it with President Erap (Joseph Estrada) while he was detained at the Veterans Hospital?” he said.

For Postal Voting, Magbual cited Sri Lanka, Papua New Guinea, Bangladesh, Japan as some of the countries that provide such kind of voting in their elections.

“Did we not have elections much earlier than they? The Comelec introduced postal voting for overseas voters in three countries. Has the Comelec refined this voting procedure for wider coverage to include the disabled, senior citizens and others similarly situated?” asked the Namfrel member.

Magbual, who is also the chairperson of the Asian Network for Free Elections (Anfrel), said these so called “special voting procedures” have the advantage not only of being cheaper but also allow for a much higher turnout.

He said although the risk of fraud is great with such voting procedures because it take place outside the controlled environment, the Philippines have the advantage of learning from the safeguards that other countries have introduced to gain the confidence of the voters as well as the other political actors.

“The Comelec has inordinately depended on Congress to initiate improvements on our election practices. The Comelec has to be more proactive and take a more enlightened attitude towards other possibilities in the administration and management of our elections,” said Magbual.

Earlier, two bills were filed at the House of Representatives that will provide “Special Polling Places” for persons with disabilities, expectant mothers and senior citizens that of HB 2296 of Rep. Godofredo V. Arquiza and HB 4048 of Rep. Teddy A. Casiño et al.

Both bills provide for special polling rooms which shall be located at the ground floor of each polling center.

source: mb.com.ph