Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon city .
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Sessio.n
House Bill No.cos,
Introduced by Rep. FERDINAND ALEXANDER A. MARCOS
1 StDistrict, Ilocos Norte
EXPIANATOIIy NOTE
At  the  height  of the  pandemic,  a  number  of states  in  the  United  States  have
explored the  advantages  of postal or mail-in voting,  also known as vote-by-mail,  to
avoid  the  possible  COVID-19  health  risks  associated  with  large  crowds  at  polling
places. The pandemic has engendered extensive fears about long and slowly-moving
lines and big crowds at polling places. Of serious and special concern is the welfare of
the elderly, the handicapped and the sick who are most vulnerable to the contagion.
Apart  from  the  avoidance  of  the  health  risks  associated  with  COVID,   the
availability   of   postal   voting   also   has   other   advantages.    It   can   reduce   staff
requirements at polling centers during an election. It can also save a lot of money and
man-hours considering the great distances that citizens in some instances would have
to  spend  in  going  back  to  the  places  where  they  are  registered  voters.  But  most
importantly perhaps, research has shown that mail-in voting increases voter turnout. It
has  been  found  out  that  some  segments  of the  population  typically  vote  in  lower
numbers.   This  includes   young  people,   low-income  people,  minorities  and  those
without   access   to   transportation.   With   the   ease   of  voting   to   be   provided  by
vote-by-mail, there exists an incentive for greater democratic participation on the part
of our people (even if we factor in only the targeted groups of beneficiaries under this
bill, namely, the sick, the handicapped and the elderly).
In the United  States,  as  of July 2020,  five  states - Colorado,  Hawaii,  Oregon,
Utah  and  Washington - hold  elections  almost  entirely by mail.  Postal  voting is  an
option in 33  states and the District of Columbia. Other states allow postal voting only
in  certain  circumstances,  though  the  COVID-19  pandemic  has  prompted  further
discussion about relaxing some of those restrictions.  In spite of the objections on the
part  of some  sectors,  there  has  been  little  or  negligible  proof that  mail-in  voting
increases  the  likelihood  of  fraud.   In  any  case,  researches  have  shown  that  the
advantages of vote-by-mail far outweigh the disadvantages, real or imagined, of the
system.
Needless to state, the "new nomal" compels us to adopt new paradigms or ways
of doing things in order to  sustain,  if not reignite,  our democratic way of life.  And
there is no better way of going about this than to adopt the best practices which have
been time-tested in other jurisdictions.


This is  a refiled bill  from the  Eichteenth (18th)  Congress,  where the Hon.  Rep.
Dan S. Femandez authored the original measure, namely, House Bill No. 7930.
For the foregoing reasons, the early approval of this bill is earnestly sought.
FERDINAND  ALEXANDER  A.  MARCOS


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
HouseBillNo.803]
Introduced by Rep. FERDINAND ALEXANDER A. MARCOS
1 stDistrict, Ilocos Norte
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR POSTAL OR MAIL-IN VOTING FOR SENIOR CITIZENS,
THE     HANDICAPPED,     THE     SICK     AND     LOCALLY     STRANDED
INDIVIDUALS   IN   TIMES   0F   PUBLIC   HEALTH   EMERGENCIES   0R
STATES 0F CALAMITY
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House Of Representatives Of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:
SECTION  1. Dec/cz7'czfz.o7c o/Po/z.c);.  -The State shall ensure the free exercise of
the right of suffrage by all  citizens of the Philippines not otherwise disqualified by
law.
SEC.  2.  Posfcz/ or A4lczz./-j.#  Fro/I./?g Sys/em.  -  The  Commission  on  Elections  shall
adopt  and  implement  a  postal  or  mail-in  voting  system  in  times  of public  health
emergencies or states of calamity for the benefit of senior citizens, the handicapped,
the sick and locally stranded individuals who are duly registered voters and who, on
election  day,  may  not  be  able  to  vote  due  to  high  risk  of infection  or  physical
impossibility.
SEC. 3. De¢#!./I.o#. -As used in this Act, postal or mail-voting refers to a form of
absentee voting in which a ballot is mailed to the home of a registered voter, who fills
out and returns it by postal mail or drops it off in-person or by a representative into a
secure  drop  box  or  at  a  voting  center.  For  instances  of postal  mail,  the  State  shall
allocate the necessary funds for the payment of postage.
SEC.  4. 4zxp/I.cczbz./I.fy.  - This Act  shall  apply in  all  local,  national  and  overseas
balloting as well as to all national referenda and plebiscites.
SEC.  5.  Imp/e77ce7cfz.7?g R%/es  c}#c7 jzeg%/czfz.o#s.  -  The  Commission  on  Elections
shall,  within  ninety  (90)  days  from  the  effectivity  of  this  Act,  promulgate  the
implementing rules and regulations for the effective implementation thereof.
SEC. 6. 4xpraprz.cz/I.o#s. -The initial funding of this Act shall be charged against
the current year's appropriations or from any available savings of the Commission on
Elections.   Thereafter,    such   amount   as   may   be   necessary   for   the   continued


implementation of this  Act  shall be  included  in the  annual  General  Appropriations
Act.
SEC.  7.  Repecz/z.#g  C/czwse.  -  All  laws,  presidential  decrees,  executive  orders,
resolutions,  rules  and  regulations,  other  issuances,   and  parts  thereof,  which  are
inconsistent   with   the   provisions   of  this   Act,   are  hereby  repealed   or  modified
accordingly.
SEC. 8. Ej7je:ec/I.vz.ty. -This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete
publication in the Official Gazette or in any newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,