Comelec urges Congress to pass law on early voting hours

Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia (Inquirer file photo by Niño Jesus Orbeta)

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has urged Congress to pass a law on early voting hours that can cater to more sectors in the succeeding elections. 

Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia on Thursday reiterated the importance of having early voting hours, citing the over 4 million senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and pregnant women that benefited from the program in the  May midterm elections.

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“There should be a law for the senior citizens, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, nurses, doctors, and frontliners so they can vote one week before the elections,” Garcia said in Filipino on the sidelines of the Special Register Anywhere Program (SRAP) at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City. 

Garcia said that many frontliners, like medical professionals, don’t get to exercise their right to vote on election day because they are fulfilling their duties for the public. 

“It will be good if we persuade Congress on this matter and let us help one another because if funds are the only problem, we can easily make amends to it. The teachers will prefer to make them vote earlier because the number of [registered] voters will decrease on election day,” he pointed out.

Garcia also mentioned that the poll body will once again implement early voting hours for the vulnerable sectors in the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections. It will run from 5:00a.m. to 7:00 a.m. 

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In visiting the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center last Monday, Garcia emphasized the convenience of the SRAP launched in the hospital where health professionals were able to register as voters or have their registration status updated.

The SRAP brought the registration sites to different locations in Metro Manila, such as hospitals, schools, terminals, and malls to cater people who are not able to register in their local Comelec offices. 

The poll body has set the 10-day regular voters’ registration period nationwide for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections from August 1 to August 10, 2025. Meanwhile, the SRAP ran from August 1 to August 7 only. /gsg