Comelec sees increase of new voters with off-site registration

THE off-site registration of voters has encouraged people to sign up early to vote in next year’s election.

Anna Fleur Abelgas-Gujilde, Mandaue City election officer, said 177,903 registered as new voters as of June 23 this year compared to 167,000 in 2010.

The process started in Dec. 2011 and will end on Oct. 31, 2012.

Citizens find many reasons not to go to the Comelec office but with off-site registration the office has become easily accessible.

“This will also encourage the people to exercise their right of suffrage,” she added.

With offsite registration, Gujilde said that there will be no reason for Mandauehanon’s not to register for 2013 elections.

In Mandaue City, the Comelec still has to conduct off-site registration in barangays Looc and Cambaru.

In the off-site registration, Comelec personnel schedule the registration ahead of their visits in barangay halls.

The Comelec is cleaning up the voters list, removing names of voters who have died.

“But the report from the local civil registrar is also limited because they can only report to us registered voters here who also died here. Those who died in other localities don’t get reported,” she added.

Registered voters who failed to vote in the last two election will have their names delisted from the active list of voters.

During the filing of certificates of candidacies for the 2013 election on Oct. 1 to 5, the registration of voters will be suspended. /Correspondent Jucell Marie P. Cuyos