TAGBILARAN CITY, May 9 (PIA)--Bohol Commission on Elections Supervisor Atty. Jerome Brilliantes projects over 80% turnout of voters in this May 9 elections.
At a pull-aside interview at the Bohol Provincial election Board Monitoring Center at the Old Provincial Capitol Building in Tagbilaran, Brilliantes, who got his Bohol assignment for the May 9 election said it is customary for presidential elections to have a high turn-out.
And in Bohol, especially with heated campaign accompanying the relentless drought-caused heat, the prospect of a longer voting time due to the printout of receipts had voters responding well.
We did not expect this much number of voters waiting for their turn at the opening of polling places, admits first time voter Cecil Joseph Ligan, who came early with his parents anticipating the heat.
Earlier, COMELEC Bohol through Atty Brilliantes warned voters of an additional voting time spent for printing and voter validation of the receipts.
He said, a voter may need one additional minute for this.
Disseminated over media and social media sites, the voters responded and came in as early as 5:00 AM, when the polling places opened at 6:00.
We did not expect the voters to come this early, apparently, they did fearing a much longer time, poll clerk Susana Diola said noting that by 1:00 PM, the turnout in their precinct has reached over 50%.
The COMELEC has stated that polling opens at 6:00 and ends at 5:00 PM May 9.
But owing to the isolated cases of Vote Counting Machine (VCMs) bogging down, and unusually long queues, the poll body says BEIs are to list down the names of voters within the vicinity of the polling place for the voting queue, before closing.
Everyone who have shown themselves at 5:00 PM poll closing are allowed to vote and the voting would be extended to accommodate the late voters, Atty Brilliantes said. (rac/PIA7/BOhol)
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