Comelec to hold mock polls in December
As part of their preparations for the May 2022 polls, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is set to conduct a mock elections before the year ends.
"We are tentatively scheduling a mock elections for the end of December," Comelec Spokesperson James Jimenez said in a press briefing in Manila, Thursday.
"The mock elections will be a public test. We will use actual voters to see how it behaves in the field," he added.
Before the mock polls, Jimenez said, they will also conduct a field test.
"There's a field test to determine the precincts and canvassed results can be electronically transmitted to wherever its supposed to go. That one is an internal test," he said.
"The mock election is for public coverage as we will have actual voters actually lining up to vote," added Jimenez.
Last month, the Comelec conducted a voting simulation at the San Juan Elementary School for the upcoming polls.
The voting simulation only had an 11 percent voter turnout.
Meanwhile, Comelec Campaign Committees will be created at the national, regional, and municipal levels for next year's polls.
Jimenez said the first and the most consequential thing that the CCC will do is to classify category levels.
"You are aware that we have level 1, 2, 3 system in the Inter Agency Task Force. We will be mirroring that with our own category levels for the purpose of deciding how strict the restrictions in in person campaigning. There will be a graduated scale of restrictions that are corresponding to alert levels potentially," he said.
"For example, if you are at alert level 5, in person campaigning is not allowed. Its that simple. But if you are alert level 3 or lower then its okay. If alert level 3, in person campaigning for example a candidate or campaign leader may be accompanied by a maximum of three support staff. Whereas under level 2, that will be 5 support staff. Under alert level 1 which is basically normal, there will be no limit. So we will have a graduated scale of what is allowed and what is not. This will also apply for caucuses and meetings," added Jimenez.
The CCC, he said, will also accept, approve, or disapprove applications for the conduct of election campaigns.
"Meaning there will be a permit process. The candidates need to ask permission to campaign in person. There is a specified process for that and that is for them to write a letter to the CCC at their level," said Jimenez.
He said part of the task of the CCC is to monitor the conduct of the election campaigns which will be done in partnership with the barangay officials, the tanods and the members of the barangay health emergency response teams as well as the armed services, Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Jimenez added that the CCC will also prepare reports as regard to the conduct of election campaigns and will perform other functions as to be determined by the commission.
He said this will take effect during the campaign period, which is in February next year.