As Election Day, May 9, draws near, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday, May 5, released the voting time for voters who are part of the vulnerable sectors.
The Vulnerable Sectors Office (VSO) of the Comelec said the Accessible Voting Centers (ACSs) are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Separate Voting Rooms (SVRs) are open from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and the IP Emergency Accessible Polling Place (IP-EAPP) will be open from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For Senior Citizens (SC) and persons with disability (PWDs), the poll body said they will be given access to regular polling places including accessible polling places from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m.
The VSO noted that PWDs who need "assistors" are allowed to have one so long as they are family and are up to the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity; a caregiver or nurse; and election board members.
Meanwhile, people deprived of liberty (PDLs) are only allowed to vote for the positions of president, vice-president, senator, and party-list representative from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The VSO said PDLs may cast their vote at special polling places inside jail facilities or detention centers for PDLs to cast their vote.
For escorted voting, the Comelec said a court order is required for a PDL voter to be allowed outside a jail facility or a detention center.
“The PDL voter shall be escorted from the jail facility or detention center to the regular polling places of the precinct where he/she is registered to cast his/her vote,” Comelec’s VSO said.
Voters were advised by the poll body to bring their list of candidates they want to vote for.
As such, the Comelec has told voters who are part of the vulnerable sectors to always observe minimum health and safety protocols at polling precincts.