Seniors, disabled to be given priority during election day

Senior citizens, pregnant women, and disabled persons will be given priority by all Commission on Elections (Comelec) personnel come election day, the poll body said. In a minute resolution, the Comelec en banc approved the recommendation of Election and Barangay Affairs Department Director Teopisto Elnas, Jr. to extend "preferential treatment" to senior citizens, pregnant women, and persons with disabilities on election day in May. The poll body said that it will either provide them with express lanes or designate polling places located at the ground floor of the voting centers, if possible. It said that it will issue circulars to all Comelec field offices regarding the matter, which will be part of the General Instructions for the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI), which are traditionally teachers. The GI already contains a provision on providing accessible polling places to disabled persons, but Elnas recommended that senior citizens and pregnant women be given the same privilege. The Comelec has also directed all election officers to coordinate with their local school administrators, local government units, citizens' arms and non-government organizations, to provide these sectors assistance in voting. In a separate minute resolution, the poll body en banc likewise approved Elnas' recommendation to establish an Election Day Help Desk in every polling center during the May polls. The Comelec said that citizens' arm Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) will man the said desk. It said the PPCRV will assist the voters in finding their precinct number, sequence number in the list of voters, and polling place. They will also educate the voters in a simplified manner on the voting process, including how to fill up the ballot and the do's and dont's when voting. - GMANews.TV