Voters cast their votes in the first ever mall voting held at the SM City Consolacion in Consolacion town, Cebu during the Barangay and SK elections on October 30, 2023. CDN Digital photo | Jessa Ngojo
CEBU, Philippines—The first-ever mall voting started during the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections 2023 on Monday, October 30, 2023.
LIVE UPDATES: 2023 Barangay and Sanguniang Kabataan elections
Pilot testing for mall voting was held at SM City Consolacion in Consolacion town, Cebu, and at the Robinsons Galleria Cebu in Cebu City.
SM Consolacion was accredited by the Commission on Elections to offer voting services to registered voters from Barangay Pitogo, Consolacion.
READ MORE: Mall voting: Its advantages and disadvantages
According to Mrs. Venus Pepito, the Head of the Department of Education Supervisor Official for SM Consolacion’s voting initiative, they are tasked with accommodating five cluster precincts from Barangay Pitogo, serving a total of 2,394 voters.
READ MORE: Barangay and SK election: Selected voters from Pitogo, Pari-an to cast ballots in malls
At Robinsons Galleria Cebu, a total of 2,232 voters from five chosen precincts of Barangay Pari-an are expected to cast their ballots there.
Voters wait for their turn to cast their votes at the Robinsons Galleria Cebu during the pilot testing for mall voting for the Barangay and SK elections on October 30, 2023. CDN Digital photo | Christian Dave Cuizon
Cebu has been selected as one of the areas for Comelec’s pilot testing for mall voting, which is part of the agency’s mission to enhance voting experience, said lawyer Lionel Marco Castillano, director of Comelec-7.
/bmjo