Unclaimed voters’ IDs in Batangas City (Photo by Comelec spokesman James Jimenez as posted on his Twitter page)
MANILA — Now that the voters’ registration period is over, the Commission on Elections is urging voters to claim their voters’ identification cards from their local election officers.
Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez has announced that registered voters may now get their voters’ IDs from the office of the election officer in their town or city where they are registered.
To emphasize his point, he even posted on Twitter photos of unclaimed IDs at a local election office he visited last Saturday, the last day of the voters’ registration period.
“Now that the voter registration is over, we are reminding our registered voters that they can check with their local Comelec office to verify the availability of their voters’ ID,” Jimenez said on Monday.
The Comelec spokesperson revealed that there were still many voters’ IDs unclaimed in several local election offices across the country.
The voters’ IDs were issued to voters who took advantage of earlier voters’ registration periods and signed up, but failed to claim the IDs in person.
Earlier, Comelec chairperson Andres Bautista said around nine million voters’ IDs have remained unclaimed in local Comelec offices nationwide.
This has prompted the poll body to allow local election officers to release these IDs to registered voters during the satellite registrations during the recently concluded voters’ registration period.
The Comelec conducted several satellite registration activities from November 7, 2016 to April 29, 2017 to be able to reach more prospective voters and to distribute the unclaimed voters’ IDs.
But with the conclusion of the voters’ registration period, the voters’ ID can only be exclusively claimed at local Comelec offices.
“Voters must claim their voters’ IDs personally, or through an authorized representative. Voters’ IDs are not mailed or delivered to individual voters or released to the barangay,” Jimenez explained.
A voters’ ID is an ID given to registered voters whose biometrics data were digitally captured by the Comelec. It is not a requirement in casting one’s vote.
It is a valid ID recognized by all government offices and banks asking for identification documents. SFM