Comelec registration now 5 days a week

MANILA, Philippines — Beginning Monday, voter registration will be held five days a week and nine hours a day as the Commission on Elections (Comelec) tries to enlist about 3 million new voters in the next eight months.

The Comelec announced on Sunday that its offices nationwide would now conduct voter registration for the May 9, 2022, general elections from Tuesday to Saturday, including holidays, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

When the Comelec resumed voter registration on Sept. 1, 2020, after the pandemic lockdown, its offices only accepted applications from Monday to Thursday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

As of Jan. 14, the Comelec received 1,117,528 applications from new voters and delisted voters who sought to be registered again. But this was way behind the poll body’s target of 4 million new registered voters for next year’s elections.

Requirements

Voter registration will end on Sept. 30.

To register as a voter, one must be at least 18 years old by election day, a resident of the Philippines for at least one year, and a resident for at least six months before election day in the city or municipality where one intends to vote.

A voter who wishes to transfer residence may also apply with the Comelec office in the new place of residence.

Those with deactivated registration records, usually due to failure to vote for two consecutive elections, may also apply for reactivation.