Guidelines on CSO accreditation for voter verification released

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday released the guidelines for civil society organizations (CSOs) seeking accreditation to participate in the verification of the list of registered voters for the 2025 midterm elections.

In Resolution No. 11042 sent by the poll body to reporters, any legitimate CSO is allowed to apply up to 60 days before the scheduled date of voters’ verification.

READ: Number of new voter registrants about to reach 5 million, says Comelec

The Comelec said an authorized officer from the CSOs needs to send their application to the Election and Barangay Affairs Department for checking.

The Comelec will then approve or reject the applications of the CSOs.

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“The authority of the VC (verifier-certifier)-CSO to participate in the verification and certification of the list of voters is generally understood to be for a particular election only, unless the commission otherwise provides in their accreditation,” the resolution read.

As of August 7, the Comelec said the total number of registered voters nationwide is 65.9 million.

READ: Elections 2025: Guide on Voters Registration