AN official of the Commission on Elections confirmed on Friday that mall voting may not push through because the resolution authorizing the plan has not yet been signed with only 22 days remaining before the May 9 national and local polls.
The official, who asked not to be named, said there is still no resolution identifying the 352 clustered precincts to be transferred to 86 shopping malls.
The law only allows the Comelec to make changes in polling precincts 45 days before the May 9 poll, beyond that, the agency is not allowed to implement the plan.
“The Commission en banc has yet signed any resolution on mall voting” the official said.
When asked if the poll body can still implement the plan although it’s already less than 45 days from the election, the official said “there may be no more mall voting.”
In a separate interview, a source privy to the automated election preparation said the Comelec planned to antedate the resolution to make it appear that it met the legal requirement that the resolution to change polling places should be filed 45 days before the May 9, 2016.
“Officially, the date of promulgation is the date of issuance. If they manage to make it appear that the resolution was promulgated last March 26, that will be presumed to be the date of actual issuance,” the source said.
“If they want to ante date the resolution, it should be few days after the deadline, but it’s too late already,” the source said.
The Standard earlier asked Bautista if there is already a signed resolution for mall voting and he said “yes, we have” and when he was asked when the resolutin was filed he only said: “we will give you a copy.”
