ILOILO City – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Region 6 conducted a simulation of voting for persons with disability (PWDs) at Central Philippine University yesterday.
Over 200 PWDs from this city and Iloilo province participated, said Atty. Elizabeth Doronila, Iloilo provincial election supervisor.
Comelec’s Commissioner Al Parreño was here to oversee the simulation.
The goal was to further fine-tune the voting processes for PWDs, said Doronila, in preparation for the May 2022 national and local elections.
“The voting simulation for PWDs was a brainchild of Commissioner Parreño. Gusto niya ma-enhance ang voting experience sang PWDs although we already have the rules,” said Doronila.
The following concerns cropped up during the simulation:
* lack of ramps
* very small sizes of letters in the ballots
* lack of interpreters for deaf-mute voters
* lack of wheelchairs / lack of assistants to help move wheelchairs
Doronila said these concerns would be brought to the attention of Comelec for proper action.
The objective is to make the voting processes for PWDs more efficient, she stressed.
Doronila also urged local election officers to review and update their list of PWD voters.
She called, too, PWDs to register with Comelec so they could vote.
Registration resumed on yesterday, Jan. 20. Election offices also entertain requests for transfer of registration records, change/correction of entries in the registration record, reactivation of registration record, and reinstatement of name in the list of voters.
Election offices are open Monday to Saturdays, including holidays, from 8 p.m. to 5 p.m./PN
