COMELEC invites public to register to vote, update voter registration
By Redjie Melvic M. Cawis
Baguio City Election Officer Atty. John Paul Martin assures safety of registrants at the COMELEC Baguio Office with the strict implementiation of measures against the COVID-19. (RMC- PIA-CAR)
BAGUIO CITY, Feb. 27 (PIA) — The Commission on Election is encouraging the Filipinos who may be eligible to vote to register in the on going voter registration for the upcoming May 2022 elections.
Baguio City Election Officer John Paul Martin said the COMELEC has adjusted the work schedule of their offices from Tuesday to Saturdays including holidays, to accommodate those residents who cannot avail of the Monday to Friday voter registration schedule. egistration time is also extended from 3:00 to 5:00 PM.
COMELEC offices are closed on Mondays for disinfection and sanitation purposes for the protection of its employees and the public from COVID-19.
With the new schedule of voter registration, Martin said they are expecting to register of at least an additional 40,000 registrants in the city of Baguio in time for the May 2022 election. He said that Baguio City already has more than 144,000 registered voters.
All types of applications for voter-related registration from new registration of both regular and Sangguniang Kabataan, change or correction of entries (for misspelled names, wrong birthdates, wrong gender), transfer of registration record, reactivation of registration record, inclusion of registration record and reinstatement of name in the list of voters are accepted.
COMELEC is also are issuing Certificate of Voter’s Registration.
Martin assured that the voter registration being conducted at the COMELEC office is safe as they are implementing the different measures to prevent the COVID-19 and ensuring that employees and clients are following the safety and health protocols and the strict implementation of the minimum public health standards.
The COMELEC Baguio office was redesigned with plastic barriers and equipped with alcohol and sanitizers; proper signage and markers of social and physical distancing is also being observed during the registration of voters.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, lesser people have been applying with the voter registration at the COMELEC offices since it resumed in September 2020. Martin said they have been averaging at least 50 registrants in a day in the past months.
With the new schedules, they are expecting an increase of at least a hundred registrants in a day until September 30, 2021, which is the last day of voter registration. Offsite voter registration is still suspended (JDP/RMC- PIA CAR)
