The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is urging the public to register during the holiday season to avoid long queues as a result of last-minute voter registration.
Comelec spokesperson Rex Laudiangco, quoted by a GMA News report, said the number of newly-registered voters is still low, not only in the regular registration but also in the Register Anywhere Project, which is currently under pilot testing in five malls in the National Capital Region and select provinces.
“The number of registrants is not that high at the moment. Maybe because our countrymen are still busy with preparations and gathering for the Christmas season and we understand this,” the poll official said.
Laudiangco added that the Comelec wants “to reiterate our call for our countrymen to take the opportunity to register, especially now that many individuals, specifically, the students are taking their holiday vacation; many individuals are going to the malls to shop; and to avoid inconvenience as many individuals will flock to the registration sites in January.”
Laudiangco said that voter registration will only be suspended on the eve of Christmas Day and New Year.
From December 12 to 17, Comelec’s initial data showed that there are 19,336 new registrants for the Sangguniang Kabataan elections and 46,109 newly-registered regular voters ageing 18 years old and above across the country, GMA News reported.
This excludes the registrations made through RAP, Laudiangco said. Voter registration for the barangay and SK elections started last December 12. It will run until January 31, 2023.
The Comelec said its Register Anywhere Project (RAP) will run until January 25, 2023 in SM Mall of Asia, SM Fairview, SM South Mall, Robinsons Galleria, and Robinsons Place Manila in NCR.
Comelec’s RAP is also available at Robinson’s Mall Tacloban, Barangay Baras Baras, Tacloban City; SM City Legazpi, Imelda Roces Avenue, Zone 9, Barangay 37 Bitano, Legazpi City, Albay; and Robinson’s Mall Naga, Naga City, Camarines Sur.
RAP will also be conducted in government sites such as Senate of the Philippines in Pasay City on January 25, 2023; House of Representatives in Quezon City with exact date/s to be determined, and Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) Main Office in Pasay City with exact date/s to be determined.
Aside from registration, voters can also apply for transfer of registration records, reactivation of voting status, and correction or change of entries in the voter registration record.
Registrants may go to the office of the election officer or satellite registration sites in their areas from Monday to Saturday, including holidays, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The BSKE was supposed to be held in December 2022 but was moved to October 2023.