SM and COMELEC Partner for 2016 Elections

Staying true to its commitment to give its customers convenience and full accessibility, SM Supermalls today announced that it is offering its 52 malls all over the country as voting precincts for next year’s elections.

The announcement was made by SM Supermalls President Annie Garcia after a meeting with COMELEC Chairman Andres Bautista.

Bautista in a statement said that COMELEC and SM Supermalls share the aspirations of the Filipino people for credible, orderly and peaceful elections. In furtherance of such efforts, SM is willing to offer its malls as voting centers in the forthcoming elections. “Responsible voting leads to credible elections.” Bautista said. This is also part of COMELEC’s desire to improve the voting experience of the public.

“SM Supermalls has always been supportive of the COMELEC’s efforts at ensuring credible, peaceful and orderly elections. In line with this and as part of our commitment to give all the convenience to the public, especially to the mall-goers, we would like to tell COMELEC that our 52 malls will be made available as voting centers in the 2016 national elections,” Garcia said.

She added that SM Supermalls’ accessibility, senior citizens and People with Disability (PWD)- friendly facilities, air-conditioned facilities will make it an ideal place for people to cast their votes.

Garcia noted that in the last October 2013 barangay elections, four SM malls had been used as voting precincts for senior citizens and PWDs. “We have done this before, being the first mall to have been made into a voting center in the last elections and this is another opportunity for us to give our customers all the convenience especially at a most crucial period in our country,” Garcia said.

SM Supermalls is currently hosting COMELEC’s biometrics registrations in all its 52 malls all over the country under the No Boto, No Bio program.