Comelec studying voter registration at workplaces

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is studying the possibility of expanding its incipient “Register Anywhere” system to government offices and private establishments to those who are busy at work on designated registration days.

Comelec Chair George Garcia said he had directed Teopisto Elnas, the poll body’s deputy executive director for operations, to look into the possibility of including government and private offices during the system’s pilot testing.

The poll body earlier announced the pilot testing of the Register Anywhere system in selected partner malls in the National Capital Region and the agency is looking to resume voter registration beginning the last week of November 2022 up to the last week of May 2023.

“I want to hold sample activities in government agencies. Let us go also to private entities and enlist those who have not yet registered,” he said, adding that the move particularly targets the members of the labor sector.

“Many are still unable to get registered because they have work,” he added.

According to Garcia, they’ve created a committee that will evaluate, implement, and ensure that the implementation of the new system will be efficient.

The Register Anywhere system will provide registrants the convenience of registering in a mall of their choice, or possibly even their workplaces, where an offsite or satellite registration is being held, even if the said mall is located in a city or municipality other than their city or municipality of their residence.

With the system, Comelec will install two sets of registration booths in satellite Comelec sites, one for applicants who are residents of the city or the municipality and the other for nonresidents.

The names of the registrants will then continue to be posted in the Office of the Election Officer having jurisdiction of the city or municipality of their residence, and their barangays, in compliance with the public notice requirement.

In the same manner, the Election Registration Board having jurisdiction over the registrant or applicant’s residence will still have the exclusive and original power to hear all applications under the Register Anywhere system, including oppositions thereto and the reception of evidence for or against a registrant, the poll body said.

RELATED STORY

Comelec to begin pilot test of voter ‘Register Anywhere’ system in Metro Manila