1,880 Local Absentee Voters Logged in Negros Occidental

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY — A total of 1,880 individuals registered for local absentee voting in Negros Occidental, according to the Commission on Elections.

Provincial Election Supervisor Ian Lee Ananoria said uniformed personnel, including police officers and soldiers, began casting their votes for the May 12 midterm elections on Monday, April 28.

“The election has already begun,” Ananoria said, emphasizing the early start for those unable to vote on the official election day.

Local absentee voting will run until Wednesday, April 30.

Police Capt. Judesses Catalogo, public information officer of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, said 800 of the province’s 2,400 police personnel applied for local absentee voting.

On the first day alone, 231 officers cast their ballots, with the remaining voters expected to participate on April 29 and 30.

Catalogo assured that police operations will remain unaffected, adding, “There will be no vacuum of personnel in the police stations.”

A Commission on Elections representative from the national office also arrived to oversee the absentee voting of police officers, which was conducted at Kanlaon Hall of the police headquarters in Barangay Estefania here.

In a related update, Ananoria said internet voting for overseas Filipino workers already commenced last week.

Meanwhile, the automated counting machines designated for the May 12 elections in the province began arriving Monday, according to Ananoria.

About 2,484 machines allocated for the province have been delivered and will be distributed to various local government units on April 28 and 29, he said.

The machines will undergo final testing and sealing on May 7.

An additional 351 machines have been set aside as contingency units in case of malfunctions, he said.

Ananoria said a technical hub will be set up in the province to ensure immediate repairs in case of flash drive malfunctions during the election process.

Official ballots are expected to arrive between May 1 and 2, depending on shipping availability.

Negros Occidental, including its capital Bacolod City, has 2,009,564 registered voters.

Bacolod, the lone district, accounts for the highest number of voters with 356,814.

The province has 13,004 established precincts, 2,484 clustered precincts, and 747 voting centers.

Ananoria said the province has the sixth largest voting population in the country.

For senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and pregnant women, Ananoria said a special lane will be set up to allow them to vote with their companions or assistants early from 5 to 7 a.m.

They can also opt to vote anytime during the day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

He said this aims to decongest voting lines, considering the hot weather.

Fire Safety

As part of election preparations, the Bureau of Fire Protection-Bacolod conducted fire safety inspections in all 50 voting centers, encompassing 398 voting precincts throughout the city.

The proactive measure aims to ensure that all election venues comply with fire safety standards, providing a safe and secure environment for voters, election personnel, and the general public.

Fire Supt. Jenny Mae Masip, city fire marshal, designated fire safety inspectors to conduct follow-up inspections to verify full compliance before election day.

The Bacolod City Fire Station remains committed to safeguarding lives and property as they work toward a peaceful and orderly election.