42 malls nationwide to serve as voting centers for 2025 polls

Commission on Elections Chairperson George Garcia (INQUIRER / NINO JESUS ORBETA)

MANILA, Philippines — Forty-two malls nationwide will serve as polling precincts for the 2025 midterm elections, the Commission on Elections announced on Friday. 

This is an almost four-fold  increase from the 11 malls that participated in the pilot testing for the 2023 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections. 

During the signing of a memorandum of agreement with malls and telecommunication companies, Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said that the pilot testing for the 2023 elections proved that a school is not the sole available place an election can be held.

He also said that having 42 malls as voting precincts for the 2025 elections is a good start. 

“Magandang simula para ipakita na tama na yung paggamit natin sa elementary schools. Walang violence, walang vote buying. Sabi ko nga malamig, tapos pagpasok mo pa may mag aalalay sa’yo kung sakaling kailangan ng wheelchair, security,” Garcia said.

(This is a good start to show that we should stop using elementary schools. There is no violence and vote buying. Like I said, it’s cold inside the mall, and assistance is available in case anyone will need a wheelchair, security.)

Garcia also said that the malls will be open at 5 a.m. for the start of early voting hours for senior citizens, pregnant women, and  persons with disabilities. 

The Comelec also shared that the malls were chosen as polling precincts after consultation with residents. Field offices scouted possible malls that are near to the original polling precincts of voters.

 The following mall chains . malls will participate in the mall voting program for the May midterm elections:

• SM Malls
• Robinsons Malls
• Megaworld Lifestyle Malls
• Ayala Malls
• Fora Filinvest Malls
• NCCC Mall Palawan
• KCC Mall de Zamboanga
• Limketkai Center