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Aiming for clean and effective automated polls on May 9, 2016, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) resumes voter registration May 6, Tuesday.
With a target of 3 million new voters for the 2016 polls and updated records of 9.6 million voters who still don’t have validated biometrics data, the COMELEC began a registration campaign called “Walkah-Walkah: Step Juan Tungo sa Mulat na Botante.” This campaign aims to hold biometrics clinics and directly deliver information relevant to registration, validation and the benefits of biometrics.
According to COMELEC Spokesperson James Jimenez, voters who fail to validate their records through biometrics will not be allowed to vote on 2016. This is due to Republic Act 10367 or “An Act Providing for Mandatory Biometrics Voter Registration,” which states that all voters should have their biometrics information (digital fingerprints, photographs, and signatures) captured during voter registration.
Registrations will be open in local COMELEC offices from 8 am to 5 pm, 6 days a week, including Sundays. The election officer (EO) determines the rest day which may be a Friday or a Saturday.
Registration starting May 6, 2014 is open for:
- 18 years old and above by May 6, 2014
- whose 18th birthday would fall on May 6, 2014 to May 8, 2015 (they can register starting on their 18th birthday)
Registration for Overseas Absentee Voting in selected Philippine embassies abroad, or in local offices to be assigned by the COMELEC, May 6, 2014:
- travelers who will be abroad from April 9 to May 9, 2016.
Registration starting May 9, 2015 is open for:
- whose 18th birthday would fall on May 9, 2015 to May 9, 2016
The COMELEC will also entertain other needs such as:
- reactivation of registration (for deactivated records after skipping two successive polls)
- transfer of registration to another city or municipality
- correction of entries in voter records
With the number of people expected to flock the local COMELEC offices, courtesy lanes will be allotted for the elderly and persons with disabilities. Also, every COMELEC office is required of one satellite registration site. Additional sites could also be requested.
To check the status of registration record, visit the poll body’s website, comelec.gov.ph, or visit their local COMELEC office.
Though registration period extends up to Oct 31, 2015, Jimenez suggests not to wait for the last minute since some “buzzer beaters” often end up unregistered.
