Mock polls at the mall: Michael Jackson wins

MANILA, Philippines - If it were an actual election, the late King of Pop Michael Jackson would be the country’s next president.

Based on yesterday’s mock polls at the Robinsons Place Mall in Ermita, Manila – the first mock poll at a mall – Jackson was elected president by bagging 20 of 66 votes cast.

Trailing him were singers Justin Bieber who got 15 votes, Selena Gomez with seven votes, Taylor Swift with six votes, Whitney Houston (four), Kelly Clarkson (three), and Adam Levigne and Kate Perry with two votes each.

R&B singer Ariana Grande was voted vice president with 12 votes. She defeated Alicia Keys and Avril Lavigne with 11 votes each while Nicki Minaj, Zac Efron and Ashley Tisdale got nine, seven and three votes, respectively.

The candidates in the party-list race, on the other hand, were bands and singing groups Air Supply, Bee Gees, Queen, Black Sabbath, Hi-Five, Boyzone and Seoul’s Girls Generation.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said the names on the ballots were “chosen at random to avoid any possible association with any candidate.” 

The Comelec held the mock elections in 20 cities and municipalities nationwide to test the automated election system (AES).

Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista led the mock polls at H. Atienza Elementary School in Baseco, Manila, one of two voting centers for the mock held from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

The mock elections at Robinsons Place lasted only until 12 noon, with 40 of the 100 “voters” turning up for the exercise.

Bautista said he observed that voters were arriving in trickles during the first hour of voting.  He also noticed that it took the first voter, 26-year-old Lawrence Panis, 11 minutes to cast his ballot.

“I just hope that on election day, this will not be the scenario in our polling places. I hope our voters will come early to vote.  Also, 11 minutes is too long but, of course, we are trying to get into the groove,” he noted.