BACOLOD CITY––The residents of this city appealed to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to hire more people to process registrants as long lines of voter registration applicants crowded the poll office on Monday.
Bacolod Elections Officer Kathrina Trinio Caña said they could accommodate only 400 registrants at the SM City satellite registration site.
The Comelec resumed operations at the satellite registration site Monday after it stopped operations on Aug. 16 when three of its personnel tested positive for COVID-19.
A Bacolod resident waiting in line with her two daughters said it was the third time they tried to register to vote.
They were standing in line from 8:15 a.m. only to be told at 9 a.m. to go home as only 400 persons could be accommodated the day.
People lining up, some of whom were there earlier than them, stayed until 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., hoping they could register.
She said they were told to register online for an appointment but found out that all time slots were full until Sept. 30.
The Comelec Bacolod will hold a special voter registration at the University of Saint La Salle on Tuesday, Aug 31, and at the Metro Bacolod District Jail in Barangay Handumanan on Sept. 4.
Satellite registration will be at Robinsons Place Bacolod on Sept. 10-11, at Ayala Malls Capitol Central on Sept. 17-18, and SM City Bacolod on Sept. 25.
There will be no registration of voters at the Bacolod Comelec office on those days.
Registration of voters at the Comelec Bacolod office will resume Wednesday, Sept. 1. Registration from Monday to Friday will be from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.