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Comelec: Polling centers in more malls in 2025 after BSKE test run

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<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Registered voters of Barangay 659 cast their ballots at a mall in Manila as one of the mall voting pilot testing areas during the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections on October 30, 2023. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/10/30/20231030-bske-mall-voting-manila-md2.jpg"/><figcaption>Registered voters of Barangay 659 cast their ballots at a mall in Manila as one of the mall voting pilot testing areas during the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections on October 30, 2023. <em>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — The Commission on Elections is expecting more voting to be conducted in shopping malls in 2025 with developers showing interest in making more space available for the general elections.</p><p>The Comelec tested mall voting on Monday as the Philippines voted for barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials in the first village elections since 2018.</p><p>&quot;We have several partners already intimating to us that they&#x27;ll be providing more malls,&quot; Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco said on ANC&#x27;s &quot;Headstart&quot;.</p><p>&quot;The only challenge with the malls is the space, [because some] are fully occupied,&quot; he said, adding he is optimistic that developers will make adjustments to accommodate more precincts in their malls.</p><p>Limited implementation for the pilot test meant that ballot boxes had to be transported to schools for the counting and canvassing of votes, but Laudiangco said he hopes the entire voting and counting process could be done at the malls in 2025.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2859445" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><p>He said the public can expect a &quot;larger nationwide implementation of the mall voting and the early voting hours&quot; for seniors, persons with disabilities and voters with medical conditions in the midterm elections, when voters will elect local and national officials.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/30/23/some-voters-prefer-mall-precincts-after-pilot-testing-for-bske">Some voters prefer mall precincts after pilot testing for BSKE</a></li></ul><p>Laudiangco said other mall developers have also expressed interest in putting up voting areas in their properties.</p><p>Some malls have set aside areas for government services like getting National Bureau of Investigation clearances. The Social Security System, Philippine Health Insurance Corp. and Pag-IBIG Fund also has offices in some mall properties. Malls benefit from the foot traffic that these services bring.</p><p>Around 60,000 voters were assigned to polling precincts in malls in Metro Manila, Cebu City and Legazpi City on Monday.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/30/23/tondo-school-serves-more-than-40k-voters">Tondo&#x27;s G. Perfecto High School serves more than 40K voters</a></li></ul><p>Adoracion del Rosario, one of 1,900 residents of Barangay Horseshoe of Barangay Horseshoe in Quezon City, said she preferred the mall voting.</p><p>&quot;Mas ayos sa katawan namin. (Sa school) siksikan po doon tsaka matagal po hanapin ang presinto namin,&quot; Nanay Doring said.</p><p>(It is better for us. The schools are crowded and it takes a long time to find our polling precinct.)</p>

'The only challenge with the malls is the space, [because some] are fully occupied,' Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco said.