REPUBLIC ACT NO.

10366
AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS TO ESTABLISH
PRECINCTS ASSIGNED TO ACCESSIBLE POLLING PLACES EXCLUSIVELY FOR
PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES AND SENIOR CITIZENS
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:
Sec!"# 1. Section Declaration of Policy. The State shall ensure that persons with disabilities
and senior citizens are able to exercise their right to political participation without discrimination
or restrictions. Towards this end, the State shall design systems and procedures that will enable
persons with disabilities and senior citizens to register and vote by themselves.
Sec!"# $. Section Definition of erms. As used in this Act, the term:
(a) Commission reers to the !ommission on "lections.
(b) Persons !ith Disabilities reer to #ualiied voters who have long$term physical,
mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers
may hinder their ull and eective participation in the electoral processes on an e#ual
basis with others.
(c) Senior Citi"ens reer to #ualiied voters who are sixty (%&) years or older.
(d) #lectoral Processes reer to election$related activities and proceedings including
registration, candidacy, campaign, voter education and casting o vote.
(e) $ssistance reers to any support or aid that may be extended to persons with
disabilities and senior citizens or them to meaningully and eectively participate in the
electoral processes.
() Discrimination on the basis of disability means any distinction, exclusion or
restriction on the basis o disability which has the eect o impairing or nulliying the
recognition, en'oyment, or exercise, on an e#ual basis with others, o all human rights and
undamental reedoms, including denial o reasonable accommodation.
(g) %niversal design means the design o products, environments, programs and services,
to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need or adaptation
or specialized design but shall not exclude assistive devices or particular groups o
persons with disabilities where this is needed.
(h) Satellite registration reers to registration conducted by an "lection (icer in
established satellite oices located in a public place within his or her area o 'urisdiction.
)t accepts application or registration, transer or transer with reactivation, reactivation o
registration records, change or correction o entries and validation o registration rom all
registrants or voters residing within the "lection (icer*s territorial 'urisdiction.
(i) Special registration reers to registration conducted in established satellite oices by a
special registration team designated by the !ommission. )t exclusively caters to irst time
person with disability and senior citizen registrants residing outside the area o
'urisdiction o the regular "lection (icer conducting the satellite registration.
(') $ccessible polling place reers to the venue where the +oard o "lection )nspectors
(+")s) conducts election$related proceedings and where the voters cast their votes. The
accessible polling place shall he located at the ground loor, preerably near the entrance
o the building, and is ree o any physical barriers and provided with necessary services,
including assistive devices.
Sec!"# 3. Section Right to Participation in #lectoral Processes. The State shall guarantee the
political rights o persons with disabilities and senior citizens, in line with the concept o
universal design, by:
(a) "nsuring that voting procedures, acilities and materials are appropriate, accessible,
and easy to understand and use,
(b) -rotecting the right o persons with disabilities and senior citizens to vote by secret
ballot in elections without intimidation, acilitating the use o assistive and new
technologies where appropriate, and
(c) .uaranteeing the ree expression, in the exercise o the right o surage, o persons
with disabilities and senior citizens, allowing assistance in voting by a person o their
own choice.
Sec!"# %. Section Duty of the Commission to Render $ssistance to Persons !ith Disabilities
and Senior Citi"ens. / )t shall be the duty o the !ommission to render appropriate assistance to
persons with disabilities and senior citizens in coordination with government agencies and civil
society organizations.
Sec!"# &. Section Record of Persons !ith Disabilities and Senior Citi"ens. The !ommission
shall 0eep an updated record o persons with disabilities and senior citizens who are registered as
voters, which indicates the types o disability and the assistance they need, to assist it in
determining policy directions or more inclusive and accessible electoral processes. The record
shall be made accessible to concerned government oices, accredited citizens* arms, civil society
monitoring groups and other organizations which promote the rights o the persons with
disabilities and senior citizens, sub'ect to speciic guidelines the !ommission may promulgate to
protect the privacy o the individuals concerned.
Sec!"# 6. Section Registration and %pdating of Records. / )n designing the orms, the
!ommission must ensure that persons with disabilities and senior citizens applying or
registration, reactivation, transer, or correction o entry indicate the type(s) o disability, as well
as the orm(s) o assistance needed.
-ersons with disabilities and senior citizens who have previously registered but have not
indicated the type o disability, or who may have developed or maniested such disability ater
having been registered, shall be allowed, during the periods to ile applications or registration,
to update their registration records, and to indicate the type o disability as well as the orm o
assistance they need during election day. The !ommission may design registration orms
speciically or persons with disabilities and senior citizens, or issue supplemental orms or the
said purpose, and provide or procedures to be ollowed by those who need to update their
registration records.
Sec!"# '. Section $ssistance in the $ccomplishment of $pplication &orm. / A person with
disability or senior citizen who cannot by himsel or hersel accomplish an application or
registration, by reason o illiteracy or physical disability, shall be assisted by the "lection (icer
in the preparation o his or her application orm, or by any member o an accredited citizens*
arm, or by a relative by consanguinity or ainity within the ourth civil degree, or i he or she has
none present, by any person o his or her conidence who belongs to the same household.
Sec!"# (. Section Satellite and Special Registration. The !ommission, in coordination with
national government agencies and local government units, person with disability and senior
citizen organizations, and other cause$oriented groups, shall conduct satellite and1or special
registration or persons with disabilities and senior citizens in accessible places.
Sec!"# ). Section Creation of Precincts for Persons !ith Disabilities and Senior Citi"ens. / The
!ommission is hereby authorized to establish precincts o a nonterritorial nature, exclusively or
persons with disabilities and senior citizens who in their registration records maniest their intent
to avail o their right to a separate precinct under this section. -ursuant hereto, the !ommission
shall establish at least one (2) such precinct, assigned to accessible polling places, or every
voting center. Such precincts shall be provided with assistive devices as well as the services o
experts in assisting persons with disabilities.
Sec!"# 10. Section Ballot Design. )n designing the ballot, the !ommission shall ensure
reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities and senior citizens to enable them to
accomplish the ballots by themselves.
Sec!"# 11. Section $ssistance in the $ccomplishment of the Ballot. / A person with disability or
senior citizen who is illiterate or physically unable to prepare the ballot by himsel or hersel may
be assisted in the preparation o his or her ballot by a relative by consanguinity or ainity within
the ourth civil degree, or i he or she has none, by any person o his or her conidence who
belongs to the same household, or by any member o the +"ls. 3or this purpose, the person who
usually assists the person with disability or senior citizen, such as a personal assistant, a
caregiver or a nurse shall be considered a member o his or her household: Provided' That no
voter shall be allowed to have an assistor on the basis o illiteracy or physical disability unless it
is so indicated in his or her registration record. 4evertheless, i the physical inability to prepare
the ballot is maniest, obvious, or visible, said voter shall be allowed to be assisted in
accomplishing the ballot by a #ualiied assistor, even i not stated or indicated in the registration
record: Provided' further' That the assistor must be o voting age.
The assistor shall hind himsel or hersel in a ormal document under oath to ill out the ballot
strictly in accordance with the instructions o the voter and not to reveal the contents o the ballot
prepared by him or her, and shall prepare the ballot or the voter inside the voting booth. "xcept
or the members o the +")s, no assistor can assist or more than three (5) times. Any violation o
this provision shall constitute an election oense punishable under Section 6%6 o the (mnibus
"lection !ode.
Sec!"# 1$. Section Sensitivity raining Program. / The !ommission, in coordination with the
4ational !ouncil on 7isability Aairs (4!7A), the !ommission on 8uman 9ights (!89), and
person with disability and senior citizen organizations, shall organize, design, and implement
sensitivity trainings to persons perorming electoral duties, including the !ommission ield
oicers, members o the +")s, and accredited citizens* arms to amiliarize them with the needs
o the persons with disabilities and senior citizens.
Sec!"# 13. Section (nformation )aterials. The !ommission shall ensure that inormation
materials relating to the electoral processes are appropriate and accessible to persons with
disabilities and senior citizens.
Sec!"# 1%. Section $ppropriations. / The initial unding o this Act shall be charged against, the
current year*s appropriations or rom any available savings o the !ommission. Thereater, such
amount as may be necessary or the continued implementation o this Act shall he included in the
annual .eneral Appropriations Act.
Sec!"# 1&. Section (mplementing Rules and Regulations. :ithin sixty (%&) days rom the
eectivity o this Act, the !ommission shall promulgate the implementing rules and regulations.
Sec!"# 16. Section Separability Clause. Should any provision o this Act he declared invalid
or unconstitutional, the validity or constitutionality o the other provisions shall not be aected
thereby.
Sec!"# 1'. Section Repealing Clause. / All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders,
resolutions, rules and regulations or parts thereo which are inconsistent with the provisions o
this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modiied accordingly.
Sec!"# 1(. Section #ffectivity Clause. / This Act shall ta0e eect on ;uly 2, 6&25, ater its
publication in two (6) newspapers o general circulation.
Approved,