Cebuanos prefer casting votes in shopping malls

CEBU CITY – The Commission on Elections said Cebuanos preferred mall voting for the October 30 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) rather than the traditional casting of votes in government schools.

This was bared by Omar Sharif Dilangalen Mamalinta, Commission on Elections (Comelec)-Cebu province spokesperson, who said that those who participated in the mall voting simulation recently at Robinsons Galleria said they would prefer to cast their vote at the malls.

“Some said they like to vote in a mall because it’s cooler inside, some said malls are accessible, and others said it is convenient because voters would not get hungry as there are many stores inside the malls,” Mamalinta said.

However, Mamalinta said that mall voting would be held along with the established voting precincts in public schools. He said that mall voting can be done only if the voters who are locals to a barangay, as well as the officials, would agree in a consultative meeting that they would prefer casting the votes outside precincts and inside the classrooms.

The poll body also held the mall voting simulation in four malls nationwide – Robinsons Galleria in Cebu City, SM Legaspi, SM Manila and Robinsons Ermita. There are 12 malls nationwide that have signified their willingness to lend their spaces for the mall voting but Mamalinta said there is nothing final yet.

Meanwhile, Visayas Command chief, Lt. Gen. Benedict Arevalo, said soldiers in the Visayas also launched their own simulation to jibe with the mall voting organized by the COMELEC. “We are now in our final phase of preparation for the upcoming Barangay and SK Elections. We have started our planning and preparations as early as March this year. We have conducted threat assessment and validation and made recommendations to the COMELEC for the watchlist areas and security deployment,” Arevalo said.  (John Rey Saavedra)