Comelec records 1.1 million new voters in BSKE registration

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has recorded about 1.1 million new voters in the ongoing registration for the  2023 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE).

In a radio interview yesterday, Comelec Chairman George Garcia said that of the 1.1 million new voters, 7,000 voter registration applications were processed the under Comelec’s Register Anywhere Project (RAP).

The voter registration is set to end on Jan. 31 while the RAP will only be conducted until Wednesday.

Garcia also reported that the Comelec has yet to seek from Congress a supplemental budget to increase the honoraria for teachers who will serve during the October electoral exercise.

The Comelec previously asked for an additional budget of P10 billion for the BSKE, but Congress only allocated P2.7 billion under this year’s national budget.

Access to VRMs

To address long lines of registrants, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has given its casual employees access to voter registration machines (VRMs) during the continuing registration period.

In a resolution, the poll body authorized plantilla casual employees in areas where additional VRMs will be deployed to receive and process personal information from applicants, as well as provide access to VRMs for purposes of voter registration only.

The Comelec came out with the resolution after a recent assessment showed an insufficiency of VRMs and personnel authorized to operate the machines.

Only regular employees are allowed to handle and operate VRMs and act on matters requiring access to data information of registrants, but the Comelec noted the lack of VRMs and personnel to operate the machines contributed largely to long lines of applicants.

“In line with the objective to enhance voters’ registration experience, it is necessary to augment the existing number of VRMs and personnel allowed to operate in areas with the influx of registrants as determined by the Commission,” it said.

The Comelec directed its casual employees to execute and submit to the election officer a non-disclosure agreement to secure the confidentiality of all personal information of applicants.

Concerned election officers are ordered to take the casual employees under their immediate control and supervision of casual employees who will operate the VRMs.

The Commission also ordered the EOs to ensure that these employees perform their duties in accordance with laws and rules on voters’ registration.

Authorized casual employees will undergo extensive training from the information technology department on the proper handling of information in connection with the data privacy policy.