How is the Omicron surge expected to affect the 2022 Elections?

With the new spike in COVID-19 cases caused by the new more transmissible Omicron variant, Filipinos find themselves asking: is the 2022 Elections still proceeding as planned?

This 2022 is election year for Filipinos. It’s a high-stakes event for the country and will determine its future for the next six years. The new elected officials will also determine the country’s reactions on key issues such as the dispute with China over the West Philippine Sea and how post-pandemic recovery will take place.

How is the recent Omicron surge expected to affect such a vital event in the country’s democratic process?

Petition for cancellation

There was a petition filed by the Coalition for Life and Democracy to the Comelec, the country’s election governing-body, to halt all election activities and postpone it until 2025 due to the recent threat of this new Omicron variant.

However, Comelec spokesperson, James Jimenez, has since addressed the issue, stating that it is highly unlikely for the Elections to be postponed. Jimenez clarified that while the Comelec does have the power to postpone elections, this can only be done “only when the conditions for free and fair elections do not exist.”

Jimenez also explains that such condition for the Comelec to suspend elections do not exist right now despite the surge. However, he did explain that Elections may be suspended in localities wherein, for example, important Election officials, such as all members of the Board of Election Inspectors are all COVID-positive and it is impossible to find replacements.

Narrowed election activities

Even before the emergence of the Omicron variant, there have been quite a lot of expected changes to the traditional Election activities that Filipinos have been used to in order to cater to the new health restrictions brought upon by the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, since the Omicron surge, it is expected that the scope of Election activities will be narrowed down. Despite this, the official campaign period for the national elections will start on February 8, as is scheduled and mandated by the 1987 Philippine Constitution.

Moreover, if not a total cancellation of major activities, we should expect to see some changes. For example, the series of Presidential and Vice Presidential debates held by Comelec will no longer be open to the public to avoid crowds from gathering and will have an online audience instead.