There is a possibility of the voting hours in the May 2022 polls being extended.
Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Sheriff Abas said the voting hours may be extended for one to three hours if there are still a lot of voters yet to vote.
"For now, it is 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. We will see on Election Day what will be the flow of voters. If there are still many that have yet to vote, we extend maybe by 1 to 3 hours," he said in a television interview.
Abas, however, said that if an area is a poll hotspot and there are security concerns, they won't do the extension.
Due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the number of voters casting their votes inside the polling precincts at the same time will be limited as a safety measure.
Meanwhile, Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon urged confirmed COVID-19 patients not to go out and vote anymore.
"If you know you have COVID-19, don't go out and vote anymore," she said during the Laging Handa press briefing.
"The IATF won't allow COVID-19 patients to go out and cast their votes. Please have mercy on your fellow voters," added Guanzon.
In case there are voters who have fever and other symptoms but are not confirmed to be COVID-19 positive, she said, they will be brought to the isolation polling precinct.
"If they have cough, fever, or colds, they will be brought to these IPPs," said Guanzon.