65,000 detainees may vote in May polls – Comelec

MANILA, Philippines – Around 65,000 detainees will be able to exercise their right to vote in the midterm elections next month, a Commission on Elections (Comelec) official said Friday.

In a press briefing, Comelec Director Teopisto Elnas, Jr., deputy project director for the May 13 elections, said that 225 jail facilities nationwide will be involved in the detainee voting process.

“Mayroon tayong around 65,000 detainee voters who will exercise their right to vote on election day. Scattered ito sa mga jail facilities all over the country,” Elnas said.

“Kung saan siya narehistro, kukunin ng support staff ‘yung balota niya tapos dadalhin sa kung saan siya na-detain tapos doon magcoconduct ng botohan. Merong special board of elections inspectors sa mismong facility,” he added.

In the 2016 presidential elections, detainee- voters were allowed to vote for national positions only after the Supreme Court ordered the poll body to limit elections for detainees to the positions of president, vice president, senators, and parties and organizations under the party-list system .

READ: Participation of inmates in local polls put on hold

During the same briefing, Elnas said Comelec has finished the printing of 63 million official ballots for the May 13 elections and has started transporting and distributing the same.

Elnas also said that the poll body is coordinating with the energy sector to ensure power supply on election day. /gsg

READ: Comelec starts dispatching ballots to priority areas for May polls

READ: Comelec, energy sector mapping out blackout-free polls