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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ______ 
Introduced by Representative Stella Luz A. Quimbo 
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR A SYSTEM OF POSTAL VOTING BY SENIOR 
CITIZENS AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
In January 2020, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus disease 
2019 (COVID-19) outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern. 1 
To arrest the widespread transmission of the virus, the country has been placed in 
varying levels of community quarantine, thereby restricting travel and mass gathering. 
Per the US Center for Disease Control (CDC), the risk for severe illness from COVID-
19 increases with age, with seniors at higher risk.2 In fact, based on DOH data as of 
July 2022, about 60 percent of COVID-related deaths in the Philippines come from 
those aged 60-years old and above. In view of the precarious situation of senior 
citizens, they were advised to limit interactions with other people as much as possible. 
In August 2020, Mr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World 
Health Organization expressed hope "to finish this pandemic in less than two years." 
3 Evidently, this was not the case, and we were witness to how the pandemic affected 
the processes relating to the Constitutionally mandated elections last May 9, 2022. 
The public health situation in the country has underscored the need for electoral 
reform. There is an urgent need to institute measures such that the most vulnerable 
sectors of our society will be protected from the virus while ensuring that their right to 
suffrage remains unimpeded by the present circumstances. 
Hence, when the need arises, senior citizens must be allowed to vote by mail. This bill 
authorizes the Commission on Elections to allow postal voting for senior citizens and 
set rules for the conduct thereof if and only if the Commission deems it necessary. 
Evidence from around the world speaks to the effectiveness of this reform. Countries 
such as the United States, United Kingdom, Switzerland and Australia legally allowed 
1 COVID-19 Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) Global research and innovation forum. (20 20, 
February 12). World Health Organization. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/covid-19-public-health-
emergency-of-international-concern-(pheic)-global-research-and-innovation-forum 
2 Older Adults. (2020, August 16).  Center for Disease Control.  Retrieved from 
https://www.cdc.gov/healthliteracy/developmaterials/audiences/olderadults/index.html 
3 Retrieved from  
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/8/21/who-chief-hope-to-finish-this-pandemic-in-less-than-two-years 
July 5, 2022
3:42 pm
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postal voting long before the COVID-19 pandemic began. The President of the United 
States himself reportedly votes by mail. 4 Furthermore, South Korea successfully 
conducted parliamentary elections in April 2020 amidst the pandemic with its health 
authorities concluding that no local transmission occurred from that event.5 The East 
Asian country not only allowed to vote by mail individuals with limited mobility but also 
COVID-19 patients and citizens in self- isolation. This is believed to have contributed 
in the 66.2 percent voter turnout - the highest for a South Korean parliamentary 
election in almost three decades.6 
Voting by mail will be much needed even in the post-pandemic era. It will lessen the 
queues in election precincts and will keep frail individuals from lining up for hours just 
to cast their votes. With or without a disease outbreak, members of vulnerable sectors 
must be allowed to vote at the comfort of their homes to ensure their health and safety, 
while allowing them to exercise their rights. 
Legally, the country has put a premium on the right of all Filipinos to vote in all 
circumstances. Art. V of the 1987 Constitution states that 
"SECTION 1. Suffrage may be exercised by all citizens of the Philippines not 
otherwise disqualified by law, who are at least eighteen years of age, and who 
shall have resided in the Philippines for at least one year and in the place 
wherein they propose to vote for at least six months immediately preceding the 
election. No literacy, property, or other substantive requirement shall be 
imposed on the exercise of suffrage. " 
In fact, Philippine laws allow for postal voting to accommodate absentee electors 
overseas. With health precautions to protect the senior citizen voters and legal 
precautions to protect the sanctity of the ballot, the success of future elections is 
ensured through this legislation. 
In view of the foregoing, the swift passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
STELLA LUZ A. QUIMBO, PhD 
Representative 
Second District, Marikina City 
4 Miles, P. (2020, August 19). Trump, While Attacking Mail Voting, Casts Mail Ballot Again. National Public Radio. Retrieved 
from  
https://www.npr.org/2020/08/19/903886567/trump-while-attacking-mail-voting-casts-mail-ballot-again 
5 Cha, S. (2020, April 30). South Korea: no new domestic coronavirus cases, no transmission from election. World Economic 
Forum. Retrieved from  
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/south-korea-domestic-coronavirus-transmission-election-covid19/ 
6 D'Oench, M. & A. Hufford . (2020, August 7). How South Korea Conducted Its Elections During the Pandemic: AComparative 
Case Study. Lawfare. Retrieved August 25, 2020, from 
https://www.lawfareblog.com/comparative-case-study-how-south-korea-conducted-its-elections-during-pandemic


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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ______ 
Introduced by Representative Stella Luz A. Quimbo 
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR A SYSTEM OF POSTAL VOTING BY SENIOR 
CITIZENS AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SEC. 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Voting in the New 
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Normal Act." 
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SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - The State shall ensure that senior citizens 
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are able to exercise their right to political participation without restrictions. To this 
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end, the State shall design systems and procedures that will enable senior citizens to 
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vote via post. 
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SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act, the term: 
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(a) Commission refers to the Commission on Elections.
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(b) Postal voting refers to a mode of voting where mailing packets, containing
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the official ballots and other election paraphernalia, are sent directly to senior
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citizen voters.
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(c) Senior Citizens refer to qualified voters who are sixty (60) years or older.
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(d) Authorized Witness refers to any family member of the voter eighteen (18)
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years old or above within third degree of consanguinity.
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SEC. 4. Coverage. - All qualified senior citizens who are citizens of the 
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Philippines and who are not otherwise disqualified by law, may vote in the national 
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and local elections via post. 
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SEC. 5. Registration to vote via post. - Any senior citizen already registered 
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to vote may register before the Commission to vote via post. Senior Citizens not yet 
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registered to vote but would like to exercise their right to vote can register and apply 
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for postal voting at the same time. 
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The Commission shall design a registration system via post taking into 
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consideration their limited movement due to health or physical restrictions. 
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Application forms for registration to vote and for registration to vote via post shall be 
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made available for download in the Commission 's website and in all Barangay Halls. 
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Senior citizen voters must register to vote and/or signify their intent to vote by 
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mail every election. 
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SEC 6. Record of Senior Citizens. - Voters who wish to cast their vote via 
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post must first be registered to do so with the Commission. The Commission shall 
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keep a record of senior citizens who registered for postal voting and ensure it is 
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updated for each election. 
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SEC. 7. Creation of Special Ballot Reception and Custody Group. - The 
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Commission shall establish the Special Ballot Reception and Custody Group 
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(SBRCG), to be composed of a chairman and four members to be appointed by the 
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Commission. 
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SEC. 8. Functions of the Special Ballot Reception and Custody Group. - 
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The SBRCG shall perform the following duties and functions: 
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(a)  Receive from the Commission all accountable and non-accountable 
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election forms, supplies and paraphernalia to be used in postal voting, 
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counting, and canvassing; 
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(b) Verify the quantity and serial numbers of all ballots, ballot envelope, and 
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paper seals; 
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(c) Facilitate the sending and receiving of verified mailing packets to 
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registered senior citizens voters; 
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SEC. 9. Dispatch of postal voting packets to registered postal voters. - 
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The Commission shall send, not later than 45 days before the scheduled national or 
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local elections, the sealed mailing packet containing the following: 
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(a) The official ballot; 
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(b) Certified List of Candidates; 
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(c) Instruction to Voters; 
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(d) Official Ballot Envelope; and 
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(e) Paper Seals. 
 
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The Commission, in designing the mailing packets, the contents thereof, and 
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the procedure for postal voting, must take all measures to prevent vote tampering, 
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and ensure that ballots are tracked through mechanisms such as but not limited to 
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serial numbered stubs during their delivery to the voter, reception, storage, and 
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canvassing to ensure the integrity and sanctity of the ballots. 
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SEC. 10. Procedure for Postal Voting. - The following requirements for 
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postal voting shall be observed: 
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(a) The senior citizen voter must show the unsigned official ballot and the 
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official ballot envelope to an authorized witness as defined in this Act; 
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(b) The senior citizen voter must then, in the presence of the authorized 
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witness but so that the witness cannot see the vote, accomplish personally the 
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ballot by writing the names of the candidates and the name or acronym of the 
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party-list group participating in the party list system of choice; 
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(c) The senior citizen must affix his or her signature on the ballot coupon 
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which is located on the lower portion of the official ballot; 
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(d) The voter shall fold the official ballot, place it in the official ballot envelope 
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and the voter and authorized witness shall write their names and affix their 
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signatures on the flap of the envelope.  Failure to write their names and affix 
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their signatures shall invalidate the ballot. 
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(e) Return the sealed ballot envelope to the Commission using the return to 
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sender slip included in the mailing packet in accordance with the terms agreed 
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between the Commission and the winning bidder private courier; 
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(f) Only the ballots received by the Commission fifteen (15) working days prior 
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the scheduled election day shall be counted. All envelopes containing the 
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ballots received by the Commission after the prescribed period shall not be 
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opened and shall be cancelled and disposed of appropriately, with a 
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corresponding report which shall be publicized not later than thirty (30) days 
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from the day of elections. 
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SEC. 11. Ballot Receipt. - The Commission shall provide the necessary 
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safeguards and confirmation procedures including the provision of ballot receipts to 
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senior citizens who voted via mail. If a senior citizen fails to receive a ballot receipt 
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p1ior the scheduled election day, the senior citizen voter shall be allowed to vote in 
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person during the day of election. 
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SEC.12. Authority of the Commission to Promulgate Rules. - The 
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Commission shall issue the necessary rules and regulations to effectively implement 
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the provisions of this Act within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Act. 
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SEC. 13. Authority of the Commission to Allow Postal Voting. - The 
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Commission shall have the authority to determine whether postal voting shall be 
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allowed for any national or local elections. The determination shall be made within a 
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period sufficient enough to prepare the necessary postal voting paraphernalia and 
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the bidding of the private courier. 
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SEC. 14. Reportorial Requirements. - The Commission shall within one 
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hundred (100) days after the conduct of the first postal voting report to the Congress 
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its evaluation of the effectivity and ways to improve the conduct of the same. 
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SEC. 15. Applicability of Other Election Laws. - The pertinent provisions of 
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the Omnibus Election Code, as amended, and other elections laws, which are not in 
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conflict with the provisions of this Act shall remain in full force and shall have 
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suppletory application to this Act. 
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SEC. 16. Appropriations. - The amount necessary to carry out the provisions 
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of this Act shall be included in the General Appropriations Act of the year of its 
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enactment into law. Thereafter, the expenses for its continued implementation shall 
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be included in the subsequent General Appropriations Act. 
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SEC. 17. Information Materials. - The Commission shall ensure that 
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information materials relating to the postal electoral process are distributed and that 
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the same be appropriate and accessible to senior citizens. 
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SEC. 18. Separability Clause. - If any part or provision of this Act shall be 
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declared unconstitutional or invalid, other provisions hereof which are not affected 
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thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect. 
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SEC. 19. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees, executive 
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orders, rules and regulations, other issuances, and parts thereof, which are 
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inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, are hereby repealed or modified 
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accordingly. 
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Sec. 20. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its 
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publication in three (3) newspapers of general circulation. 
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Approved, 
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