FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
Second Regular Session 
1 
Introduced by Senator Richard J. Gordon 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
In the Philippines, elections have traditionally been set on a single day, patterned 
after the provisions of the Constitution on election of the President and the Vice-president, 
and legislators. These provisions state that "unless otherwise provided by law, the regular 
election of the President and Vice-president, and Senators and members of the House of 
Representatives, shall be held on the second Monday of May." (Art. VI, Sec. 8, Art. VII, Sec. 
4, 1987 Constitution) 
This bill proposes to expressly allow for the practice of early voting in polls, by which 
voters can cast their vote on a single or series of days prior to an election, through an 
amendment to the Batas Pambansa Blg. 881, or the Omnibus Election Code. The goal of 
early voting is principally to increase participation and relieve congestion of polling stations 
on Election Day. Expanding voting to more than one day can reduce the risk of overworked 
poll workers making mistakes, and in the scenario of automated elections, the risk of having 
broken automated election machines. 
In other jurisdictions where early voting is allowed, such as in the 46 states in the 
United States of America, and in Canada, Germany, Australia, New Zealand and 
Switzerland, early voting may be done by person, usually in designated early voting polling 
stations, as well as remotely, Le. by mail. 
With early voting, voters who may not be able to vote on a single Election Day are 
allowed to participate. Beneficiaries of early voting statutes include people who will be out of 
the polling area during the election period, poll workers, campaign workers, the elderly, and 
people with medical procedures scheduled for that time, among others. 
For these considerations, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought, 
/ RICHARD J. GORDON 
Senator 
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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
Second Regular Session 
1 
Introduced by Senator Richard J. Gordon 
AN ACT 
ALLOWING EARLY VOTING IN NATIONAL ELECTIONS, AMENDING FOR THIS 
PURPOSE BATAS PAMBANSA BLG. 881, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE 
OMNIBUS ELECTION CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Be if enacfed by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. A new Section 4-A of Batas Pambansa Blg. 881, otherwise known as 
the Omnibus Election Code of the Philippines, as amended, is hereby inserted as follows: 
"Sec. 4. Obligation to register and vote. - It shall be the obligation of every 
citizen qualified to vote to register and cast his vote. 
SEC. 4-A. EARLY VOTING. - A CITIZEN WHO IS QUALIFIED TO VOTE 
MAY CAST HIS VOTE EARLIER THAN THE DATE OF THE ELECTION. 
THE EARLY VOTING PERIOD SHALL BEGIN ON THE 10TH DAY 
BEFORE AN ELECTION AND SHALL END ON THE 3RD DAY BEFORE 
THE DATE OF THE ELECTION. THE COMMISSION SHALL DESIGNATE 
AN EARLY VOTING PRECINCT FOR EACH MUNICIPALITY THIRTY (30) 
DAYS BEFORE THE DATE OF THE ELECTION. 
THE COMMISSION SHALL ISSUE THE NECESSARY RULES AND 
GUIDELINES TO IMPLEMENT THIS SECTION, IN CONSONANCE WITH 
SECTIONS 190-AAND 206-A OF THIS ACT." 
SEC. 2. A new Section 190-A of the same law is hereby inserted as follows: 
"Sec. 190, Voting hours. -The casting of votes shall start at eight o'clock in 
the morning and shall end at three o'clock in the afternoon, except when 
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there are voters present within thirty meters in front of the polling place 
who have not yet cast their votes, in which case the voting shall continue 
but only to allow said voters to cast their votes without interruption. The poll 
clerk shall, without delay, prepare a complete list containing the names of 
said voters consecutively numbered, and the voters so listed shall be 
called to vote by announcing each name repeatedly three times in the 
order in which they are listed. Any voter in the list who is not present when 
his name is called out shall not be permitted to vote. 
SEC. 190-A. EARLY VOTING HOURS. - THE CASTING OF VOTES 
SHALL START AT SEVEN O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING AND SHALL END 
AT SEVEN O'CLOCK IN THE EVENING. THE PROCEDURE FOR THE 
CASTING OF VOTES UNDER THE PRECEDING SECTION AND THE 
FOLLOWING SECTIONS SHALL BE FOLLOWED." 
SEC. 3. A new Section 206-A of the same law is hereby inserted as follows: 
"Sec. 206. Counting to be public and without interruption. - As soon as the 
voting is finished, the board of election inspectors shall publicly count in 
the polling place the votes cast and ascertain the results. The board of 
election inspectors shall not adjourn or postpone or delay the count until it 
has been fully completed, unless otherwise ordered by the Commission, 
The Commission, in the interest of free, orderly, and honest elections, may 
order the board of election inspectors to count the votes and to accomplish 
the election returns and other forms prescribed under this Code in any 
other place within a public building in the same municipality or city: 
Provided, That the said public building shall not be located within the 
perimeter of or inside a military or police camp or reservation nor inside a 
prison compound. 
SEC. 206-A. COUNTING OF VOTES CAST DURING THE EARLY 
VOTING PERIOD. - VOTES CAST DURING THE EARLY VOTING 
PERIOD SHALL BE COUNTED ONLY ON ELECTION DAY. THE 
PROCEDURE FOR THE COUNTING OF VOTES IN THE PRECEDING 
SECTION AND THE FOLLOWING SECTIONS SHALL BE FOLLOWED." 
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SEC. 4. All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations and other issuances or parts 
thereof which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or 
modified accordingly 
SEC. 5. In the event that any provision of this Act is declared unconstitutiQnal, the 
validity of the other provisions shall not be affected by such declaration. 
SEC. 6. This Act shall take effect 15 days following its publication in the Official 
Gazette or in at least two newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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