Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
Twentieth (20th) Congress 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. 
Introduced by Representative MA. VICTORIA CO-PILAR 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Public schools and classrooms are primarily utilized by the government as polling places since the 
enactment of the Omnibus Election Code or Batas Pambansa Bilang 881 (BP 881) in 1985. With the 
growing population of registered voters, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) took initiatives to 
enhance the convenience and accessibility of voting for Filipinos, particularly the vulnerable sectors. 
In the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections, the COMELEC had a pilot testing of mall 
voting conducted in eleven (11) shopping centers across the country. This initiative drew a significant 
number of voters and the procedure was generally smooth in many participating malls. 
With this positive result, it is now incumbent upon us to make permanent the conduct of elections 
within the premises of shopping malls which pass qualifications required by law. 
Under this bill, a shopping mall may be utilized as polling place if it is not owned or otherwise 
controlled by any candidate or of any person related to the candidate within the fourth civil degree of 
consanguinity or affinity. 
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
July 24, 2025
4:23 pm
2298


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
Nineteenth Congress 
Second Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _____ 
Introduced by Representative MA. VICTORIA CO-PILAR 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING FOR THE CONDUCT OF NATIONAL AND LOCAL ELECTIONS WITHIN THE 
PREMISES OF SHOPPING MALLS, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREOF 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled: 
Section 1. Short Title – This Act shall be known and cited as the Mall Voting Convenience Act of 2023. 
1 
2 
Sec 2. Declaration of Policy – It is hereby declared a policy of the State to ensure the holding of a free, 
3 
orderly, peaceful, credible, and convenient elections exercised by all citizens of the Philippines not 
4 
otherwise disqualified by law. 
5 
6 
Sec 3. Mall Voting – The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) shall set up structures and other 
7 
mechanisms to allow the voting in all national and local elections, including barangay elections, within 
8 
the premises of shopping malls which shall include the following: 
9 
(a) The list of specific shopping malls which shall be utilized as voting precincts;
10 
(b) The transfer of list of voters to be considered in the creation of mall voting sites who are to vote
11 
in such shopping malls as voting precincts;
12 
(c) The installation of voting machine and other devices to be used by the registered voters;
13 
(d) The manner in which elections shall be conducted in these satellite voting precincts;
14 
(e) Such other mechanism necessary for the effective implementation of this Act.
15 
16 
Sec 4. Qualified Shopping Malls – A shopping mall to be utilized as a voting precinct shall not be owned, 
17 
leased, or occupied by any candidate or of any person who is related to any candidate within the fourth 
18 
civil degree of consanguinity or affinity, or any officer of the government or leader of any political 
19 
party, group or faction, nor shall it be under the actual control of a private entity, political party or 
20 
religious organization. A shopping mall shall not be located within the perimeter of, or inside a military 
21 
or police camp or reservation or within a prison compound to be qualified as a voting precinct. 
22 
2298


 
 
Any registered voter, candidate or political party may petition the Commission not later than 
1 
thirty days before the first registration day for the transfer of the polling place from the prohibited 
2 
buildings provided herein. Such petition shall be heard and decided by the Commission within twenty 
3 
(20) days from the filing of the petition. Failure to effect the transfer of the polling place after the 
4 
Commission found it to be located in violation of this section within the period prescribed herein shall 
5 
be a ground for the postponement of the election in the polling place concerned. 
6 
 
7 
Sec 5. Appropriations – The initial funding of this Act shall be charged against the current year’s 
8 
appropriations or from any available savings of the COMELEC. Thereafter, the amount necessary for 
9 
the continued implementation of this Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act. 
10 
 
11 
Sec 6. Implementing Rules and Regulations – The COMELEC shall promulgate the Implementing Rules 
12 
and Regulations to carry out the provisions of this Act. Such rules and regulations shall take effect 
13 
upon their publication in three (3) newspapers of general circulation. 
14 
 
15 
Sec 7. Separability Clause – If any provision or part hereof is held invalid or unconstitutional, the 
16 
remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain valid and subsisting. 
17 
 
18 
Sec 8. Repealing Clause – Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive order, letter of instruction, 
19 
administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or inconsistent with, the provisions of this Act are 
20 
hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly. 
21 
 
22 
Sec 9. Effectivity Clause – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official 
23 
Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
24 
 
25 
 
Approved, 
26