Nine Malls in Mindanao to serve as voting precincts for 2025 elections; None in Davao City

DAVAO CITY – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has identified nine malls in Mindanao as alternative voting precincts for the May 12, 2025, national and local elections, aiming to provide voters with more accessible and convenient polling venues. However, despite the presence of numerous shopping malls in Davao City, none have been designated as voting precincts so far.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia has been advocating for alternative polling venues, moving away from the traditional use of public school classrooms. He noted that malls offer better accessibility, particularly for pregnant women, the elderly, and persons with disabilities (PWDs) who often struggle with long queues and inadequate facilities in schools.

For the 2025 elections, the Comelec has designated 438,500 established precincts and 93,287 clustered precincts, mostly in public schools. However, partnerships with mall owners in select areas will allow some voters to cast their ballots in commercial centers.

List of Malls in Mindanao Serving as Voting Precincts

The Comelec and mall operators have signed agreements to designate the following malls as voting venues in their respective regions:

Zamboanga Peninsula

Zamboanga City

• KCC Mall Zamboanga – 1st District, Zamboanga City

Northern Mindanao

Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental

• SM City Uptown Mall – 1st District
• SM City CDO Downtown – 2nd District
• Robinsons Cagayan de Oro – 2nd District
• Ayala Malls Centrio – 2nd District
• Limketkai Center – 2nd District

Caraga Region

• Agusan del Norte
• SM City Butuan – Butuan City
• No Mall Voting in Davao City

Despite Davao Region’s numerous malls, none have been included in the list of designated voting precincts. Comelec has not announced whether discussions with mall operators in the region are ongoing or if additional locations will be added before election day.

The initiative to use malls as polling centers aims to ease congestion in public schools, provide climate-controlled voting spaces, and improve the overall voter experience. However, its limited implementation has excluded some major cities, including Davao, from the pilot rollout.

The Comelec is expected to evaluate the effectiveness of mall-based voting after the 2025 elections, which could determine future expansions of the program.