Comelec: Don’t use phones when casting vote on May 9

VOTERS can bring their mobile phones with them but they are not allowed to use it inside the voting centers during the May 9, 2022 elections.This is to prevent people from taking selfies and photos of official ballots when casting their votes, according to lawyer Jerome Brillantes, acting elections supervisor of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Cebu ProvincialOffice.Brillantes, however, clarified that registered voters can bring with them a “kodigo” or a list of candidates they want to vote for.He also urged voters not to wear caps, face masks or t-shirts that bear the names or faces of political candidates or else they will be asked to go home. This is to ensure that the election process will remain peaceful and orderly, Brillantes added.Though there is no time limit per person, Brillantes urged voters to cast their votes as fast as they can to give time for others, saying they only have to shade the ballot.The acting elections supervisor earlier reminded voters that voting centers will open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. on Monday. He also urged them to plan ahead as to what time they will cast their votes to avoid inconvenience.Brillantes clarified that the electoral boards will write a list of voters who fall in line until 7 p.m. but they will no longer cater to those who will arrive beyond the deadline.He said they will implement a one-meter social distancing in all polling places, and this applies both for the regular and symptomatic voters regardless of the Alert Level status of the local government units (LGUs).Brillantes further said they do not require the wearing of a face shield and presentation of vaccination cards regardless if the voter is asymptomatic or not on election day.But should a LGU require the wearing of face shield and presentation of vaccination card, then the Comelec will implement the LGU’s directive.What the Comelec certainly requires is the wearing of face masks and that the voter must be a registered voter in the LGU, Brillantes said.Poll workers will also check the body temperature of voters to determine if they have Covid-19 symptoms or not, said Brillantes.Voters were also urged by Brillantes to visit the Comelec office prior to election day to determine whether they are still registered or deactivated.He said the precinct finder is not reliable because its system is not perfect yet./ MKG