A Commission on Elections (Comelec) proposal to conduct voting in malls, while convenient and practical for voters, has to be studied based on valid questions raised by election lawyer Romulo Macalintal.
He noted the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines are precinct specific. This means the units placed in the malls will have to be brought to the mother PCOS machine which is installed at the chief designated venue. Only the mother unit is programmed to accept the ballots for counting.
Another point is that under Sections 42 and 155 of the Omnibus Election Code, only public buildings are allowed as polling precincts. If the venue is a private owned building, the arrangement is only allowed through an approved petitions by 50 percent of the voters or by a Comelec resolution.
Macalintal raised the problem of conflict of interest. Onwers of such buildings, their family members, relatives and friends may be running in the 2016 election.
The Comelec responded that the entire precincts will be transferred to malls to make the counting of votes easier.
The second point is made easier by the fact that the Comelec has until November this year to act on petitions to have voting precincts transferred or to issue a resolution declaring some precincts unfit for use and transfer them to the malls.
At this juncture, the Comelec will have to ask the public whether it would prefer to transfer some of the precincts to the malls or retain the precincts at public schools.
Malls are a solution in dense urban areas.
In the 2013 registration of voters in Cebu City, the mall was a kinder, humanitarian solution for a pilot special registration for senior citizens and persons with disabilities.
Imagine if this option could be offered on a wider scale.
The fact that one can vote with comfort and convenience would encourage high voter turnout since people can choose to eat out and relax after doing their civic duty.
And as pointed out, government transactions like NBI clearance processing and payment of real estate taxes are already being done in malls.
Mall managers recognize the activity as a way to to increase foot traffic and earn the goodwill of the public.
Of course there are issues to work out, as in all polling precincts, such as security and transparency.
The accessibility part is firmly solved since malls are the modern day community center for urban residents.