Local poll offices to open on Sundays

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has decided to open its local offices even on Sunday to encourage new voters to register for the 2016 elections.

In a resolution, the poll body directed the Office of Election Officer nationwide to operate on a modified five-day work schedule from Sunday to Thursday.

The Comelec earlier set the voters’ registration from May 6 this year to Oct. 31, 2015.

All Comelec regional directors may submit the new work schedule to the Office of the Chairman not later than March 17 for approval.

Notices of the modified workweek schedule will be posted within five days upon approval in city and municipal halls as well as barangay halls.

Commissioner Grace Padaca urged new voters to register to be able to participate in the 2016 elections.

According to the Comelec, seven- to eight-million registered voters have no biometrics data out of the more than 52 million registered voters.

The biometrics registration records a voter’s digital photograph, signature and fingerprints.

Under the Mandatory Biometrics Registration Act of 2013, voters who will fail to submit for validation prior to the May 2016 elections will be deactivated from the voters’ list.