By Michelle Ducut
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has announced that Pangasinan will operate 2,869 clustered precincts to accommodate over 2.1 million registered voters in the May 2025 national and local elections. This marks a reduction from the 3,339 precincts used in the 2022 polls, as the maximum number of voters per precinct has been increased from 800 to 1,000.
Provincial election supervisor lawyer Ericson Oganiza explained during a press conference on Monday that the adjustment also accounts for extended voting hours. Regular voting will take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., with senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and pregnant women having the option to cast their votes earlier, from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m.
Each precinct will be equipped with an automated counting machine (ACM), excluding contingency units. The precincts will be distributed across 1,204 voting centers throughout the province.
The Comelec launched a voter education roadshow on December 2 to familiarize the public with the ACMs. Oganiza confirmed that no issues have been reported with the machines so far. Electoral board members are set to undergo training from January to March 2025 to ensure smooth operations on election day.
Comelec has also begun preparations for security measures during the election period. A gun ban will be enforced starting January 12, 2025, the official start of the election season. The commission has been accepting gun ban exemption and security deployment requests since November 18.
As of now, no areas of concern have been identified in Pangasinan. A joint command conference involving the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Army is scheduled for December 20 to finalize security arrangements. The measures aim to ensure a peaceful and orderly electoral process in the province.