List-up for barangay, SK polls starts today
LESS than two months after the national and local elections, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is asking Filipinos to register early for the next polls which will be held in December.
Voter registration resumes today and will end on July 23. It will officially start Comelec preparations for the December 2022 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan.
The resumption comes amid proposals to have the December 5 poll exercise postponed anew. The last barangay and SK polls were held in May 2018. The May 2020 schedule was pushed back by Congress to the first Monday of December 2022.
“We encourage all eligible youth and eligible individuals not yet registered as voters to get registered for the December 5 barangay and SK polls,” said acting Comelec spokesman John Rex Laudiangco in a statement.
“And because the period for registration is just brief, we ask everyone to not wait for the last day before registering as voters,” he added.
All types of voter registration applications will be available, including registration, transfer, change/corrections of entries in the registration records, reactivation of registration records, inclusion of registration records and reinstatement of name in the list of voters, and transfer of registration records from foreign post to local.
Based on Comelec Resolution No. 10798, the July 4 to 23 nationwide voter registration will be held in city/municipal Office of Election Officers from Mondays to Saturdays, including holidays, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For Sangguniang Kabataan voters, eligible to apply are those at least 15 years old on or before December 5, 2022 but not more than 30 years of age, and is residing in the barangay for at least 6 months immediately preceding the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).
For regular voters, the Comelec said they must be at least 18 years of age on or before December 5, 2022, a resident of the Philippines for at least 1 year, and residing in the barangay wherein he/she proposes to vote for at least 6 months immediately preceding the BSKE.
Also available during the registration period are updating of records of persons with disabilities (PWDs), senior citizens, members of indigenous peoples’ (IPs) or indigenous cultural communities (ICCs), and other members of vulnerable sectors.
The Comelec said application forms may be secured either from the Office of Election Officers (OEOs) free of charge or downloaded for printing (long/folio size) at the COMELEC website (www.comelec.gov.ph).
Among acceptable proofs of identity, according to the poll body, are PhilSys National ID, employee’s ID with employer’s signature, postal ID, PWD ID, student’s ID or library card signed by school authority, senior citizen’s ID, driver’s license, NBI clearance, passport, SSS/GSIS ID, IBP ID, license issued by PRC, certificate of confirmation issued by the NCIP for members of ICCs or IPs, barangay identification or certification (with photo), or any other valid ID or proof of identification.
“To avoid delays, ready your accomplished application forms and proofs of identity before going to the OEOs,” said Laudiangco.
ONLINE ACTIVATION
For those intending to have their voter registration records reactivated online, the Comelec has set an earlier deadline — July 19 at 5 p.m.
This means all online applications must be sent through the official email addresses of the concerned OEOs not later than July 19.
Online applications include those for reactivation; reactivation with transfer of registration within or correction of entries; reactivation with transfer within and correction of entries; and reactivation with updating of records of senior citizen and persons with disabilities.
The Comelec also said that all OEOs are ordered to conduct satellite registration activities.
“To ensure wider voter participation, the OEO shall conduct satellite registration of voters within the city/municipality, during the first week of registration period,” it said.
Satellite registration activities may be held in barangay halls/centers, public and private schools and universities, malls and commercial establishments, and other public and convenient places.
The Comelec said there must be exclusive special satellite registration activities for the youth, senior citizens, women, PWDs, and members of IPs and ICCs.
Amid the continuing threat of COVID-19, the Comelec asked the public to continue observing health and safety protocols.
By this, Laudiangco said, applicants are strongly encouraged to wear face masks at all times, sanitize their hands regularly, maintain physical distancing, and stay home if they feel any COVID-19 symptom.
