07/16/2015, MANILA – SM Supermalls has agreed to make its 52 malls nationwide available as voting centers in the 2016 polls, according to the Commission on Elections.

Comelec said in a statement that following a meeting between Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista and SM Supermalls President Annie Garcia, the mall giant agreed to offer its malls as voting centers in 2016.

“The COMELEC remains committed to improve the voting experience of the public. This is why we are delighted to learn that SM is willing to offer its malls as voting centers in the forthcoming elections,” Bautista said.

Garcia, for her part, said, ”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 SM Supermall’s accessibility and facilities make it an ideal place for people to cast their votes. She also 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.

Another mall chain, Robinsons Malls, had earlier agreed to make its malls available for the 2016 elections.

Comelec is pushing for the proposal to turn malls into voting centers amid questions on its legality.