Comelec eyes more offsite registration centers

MANILA, Philippines — More offsite and satellite offices of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) will be opened to encourage more voters to register for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections in December.

In a Viber message, Comelec acting spokesman Rex Laudiangco said the poll body would come up with innovations to provide a convenient registration process, citing an overwhelming number of registrants since it resumed on July 4.

“The number of applications received and processed so far, manifests not just the height of the Filipinos’ interest to participate in the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections as well as in other elections, but more importantly, shows their trust in the institutionalized electoral and democratic processes,” Laudiangco said.

He said the Comelec en banc ordered the opening of more offsite and satellite registrations in malls and other venues for the convenience and safety of the public.

Laudiangco said the poll body received 909,687 new registrants as of July 12, 571,740 of them aged 15 to 17, 289,206 aged 18 to 30 years and 48,741 aged 31 and above.

The Comelec said the total number of new registrants is now 1,209,597. There are 157,421 applications for transfer from other cities or municipalities and 38,816 for transfer from within the same city or municipality.

There are 6,638 applications for transfer with reactivation, 2,346 for transfer with reactivation and correction of entries, 8,094 for transfer with correction of entries, 44,478 for reactivation and 10,335 for reactivation with correction of entries.

The Comelec said it received 29,020 applications for change of names or correction of entries, 45 for inclusion in the book of voters, 14 for reinstatement of name in the list of voters and 2,703 for transfer of records from overseas to local voting.

Laudiangco said voter registration would continue until July 23.

Comelec offices are open to accept applications related to the barangay and SK polls from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday to Friday, including holidays.