Senior citizens, PWDs faced struggles in voting during barangay, SK elections

MANILA, Philippines – Senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs) in some parts of the country encountered challenges during the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections on Monday, October 30.

At the Rizal Elementary School in Taguig City, senior citizens – mostly in wheelchairs – had to wait in the school’s quadrangle since most of their respective polling precincts are located on the higher level of the building. There was also no accessible polling place (APP) for them.

According to the Commission on Elections (Comelec), there are around 7,440 APPs in various voting centers.

Because of the lack of election officers dedicated to assisting PWDs and senior citizens, Bing Montina, who is suffering from arthritis, had to go up and down the stairs aided by her cane to coordinate with an election officer for her wheelchair-bound 86-year-old father.

In the previous elections, there was a designated place at the ground floor of the school for those who are not able to walk to higher floors.

The situation is no different in one of Cebu City’s most voter-populated barangays. A senior citizen in a wheelchair who did not wish to be named told Rappler that she was unable to get to her precinct as it was located on the 4th floor of the Guadalupe Elementary School.

In one of Cebu City’s most voter-populated barangays, senior citizens and PWDs at Guadalupe Elementary School find it difficult to vote for their chosen candidates due to accessibility issues. @rapplerdotcom pic.twitter.com/r780MTk4sm

— John Sitchon (@TheJohnSitchon) October 30, 2023

While there is an Emergency Accessible Polling Precinct (EAPP) at the Fort Bonifacio Elementary School in Taguig, some senior citizens had difficulty getting there and had to navigate multiple buildings and stairs.

“I kept going back and forth, I almost stumbled. I’ve been to so many places, I’m really exhausted, and I’m getting frustrated. I want to go home because I have arthritis,” 72-year-old Rosalina de Leon of Post Proper Southside told Rappler.

Luzviminda Turingan, 73, said that the conduct of the 2022 election – a national election – was more efficient.

Cherrelyn Budumo and her 20-year-old PWD daughter Hanna also had to go around the Pembo Elementary School just to figure out her precinct center. It was Hanna’s first time to vote.

The right process for vulnerable sectors

Under the process intended to provide of ease of voting for vulnerable sectors, upon their arrival at the polling precinct, an EAPP support staff should explain the options available to PWD or senior citizens voters

If the voter opts for the EAPP, the support staff should ask for the PWD or senior citizen voter’s ID, if available, and assist in identifying the voter’s polling place.

If the PWD or senior citizen voters cannot accomplish ballots by themselves, they may be assisted by: a relative by consanguinity/affinity within the 4th civil degree, a person of their confidence who belongs to the same household (personal assistant, caregiver, etc.), or any member of the board of election officers.

The EAPP support staff should ask the PWD or senior citizen voter to accomplish an authorization/waiver, explaining clearly the contents of the waiver.

The EAPP support staff should proceed to the dedicated polling place to pick up the ballot for the PWD or senior citizen voter.

The support staff may opt to wait to collect the ballot pick-up requests, which will not be more than 10 at any given time.

Upon reaching the dedicated polling place, the EAPP support staff shall hand over the authorization/waiver to the board of election officer chairman, who should immediately check its authenticity.

The chairman should take note of the minutes of the authorization/waiver.

The Comelec had a pilot implementation of the early voting scheme for senior citizens and PWD voters, allowing them to cast their votes from 5 am to 7 am ahead of the regular opening of precincts. This was only implemented in Naga City and Muntinlupa City. – with reports from John Sitchon/Rappler.com