By JEN BAYLON
The Commission on Elections in the Negros Island Region (Comelec-NIR) is 100 percent ready as the Negrenses will cast their votes in the highly anticipated midterm elections today.
Comelec-NIR Assistant Regional Director Jossil Macute said all automated counting machines (ACMs) and ballots, including security preparations, are already in place.
“We are only waiting for election day,” Macute said following the final testing and sealing of ACMs last week.
Voters will choose 12 candidates for senator, one party-list, one member of the House of Representatives, one provincial governor, one provincial vice governor, two members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, one mayor, one vice mayor, and members of Sangguniang Bayan or Panlungsod.
Voters are encouraged to verify their assigned polling precincts in advance through the official Comelec Precinct Finder.
Voting will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., with special early voting hours from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. exclusively for senior citizens, persons with disabilities and pregnant voters.
To ensure inclusivity and accessibility, the Comelec has set up designated polling facilities catering to priority voters.
These include express lanes at regular polling places, priority polling places located on the ground floor of voting centers, satellite-priority polling places at assisted living facilities, accessible voting centers within Indigenous Peoples’ communities, and special polling places inside detention centers for persons deprived of liberty.
Macute reminded voters to bring their own kodigo, or a list of candidates for whom to vote.
“If possible, meron na tayong list ng pagbobotohin natin para medyo mabilis po tayo sa botohan,” Macute said.
“And also, magbaon din tayo ng pasensya kasi hindi talaga ma-do away ‘yung queuing, and ‘yung paglinya ng mga tao dun. So patience is really a must on Monday and, above all, ‘yung sarili po natin i-ready po natin,” he added.
The Comelec has issued a reminder that campaigning is strictly prohibited on election day.
The poll body emphasized that any candidate or party found violating this rule may be charged under Sections 63 and 264 of the Omnibus Election Code.
Penalties include fines, imprisonment and possible disqualification from holding public office.
Negros Occidental, including its capital Bacolod City, has a total of 2,009,564 registered voters, making it one of the largest voting populations in the country.
The province has over 13,000 clustered precincts and nearly 750 voting centers, highlighting the logistical scale of the election preparations.
Aspirants
Comelec data showed that 785 candidates will vie for 369 electoral positions in Negros Occidental for the May 12 midterm elections.
Four candidates — Victorias City Mayor Francis Frederick Palanca, business owner Ernesto Librando, Paul Octaviano, and Ferdenand Diego — are challenging incumbent Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson in the gubernatorial race.
Two are aspirants for the vice-gubernatorial position: Lacson’s running mate, 4th District Board Member Jose Benito Alonso; and Octaviano’s partymate, Rosemarie Jaro Dreyfus.
A total of 23 aspirants are running for members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, data showed.
Negros Occidental’s 1st and 2nd Districts have two candidates each, the 3rd and 4th Districts have four each, the 5th District has six, and the 6th District has five running for the position.
There are 15 candidates for the seven congressional districts in Negros Occidental, including Bacolod City lone district.
Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez and former Mayor Evelio “Bing” Leonardia will be up for a rematch for the city lone district congressional seat.
Benitez, a former Negros Occidental third district congressman, defeated Leonardia in the mayoral race in 2022.
Meanwhile, 133 candidates are vying for mayoral and vice mayoral positions in 31 local government units in the province, including Bacolod.
Seventy candidates are running for city and municipal mayor positions in the province, 63 for vice mayor, while 607 candidates are eyeing the post of city or municipal councilor.
Seven aspirants for mayoral posts in the cities of San Carlos, Cadiz, Sagay, and Victorias, as well as the municipalities of Pontevedra, Ilog and Toboso, are unopposed.
Eight aspirants for vice mayor in the cities of San Carlos, Cadiz and Sipalay, as well as the municipalities of Calatrava, Don Salvador Benedicto, Toboso, Pulupandan, and Ilog, are unchallenged./JB, WDJ