‘Extraordinary’ turnout in voter list-up — Comelec

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LESS than a month into the voter registration period for the May 2025 national and local polls, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has already managed to reach more than a quarter of its projected three million applicants.

Elections chairman George Garcia said the poll body is surprised by the high turnout, noting that there are already 784,831 applicants for voter registration nationwide as of February 28.

“In our entire voter registration process, the numbers are highly unusual and extraordinary.

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We were surprised,” said Garcia in an interview.

“In the past, during the first days of voter registration, only a few are coming. But now, many of our countrymen are coming to our registration sites,” he added.

The voter registration resumed last February 12 and will run until September 30, 2024. The poll body has earlier projected that about three million will apply to become registered voters during the seven-month voter registration period.

Comelec data showed that Calabarzon has the highest number of applicants with 140,676, followed by the National Capital Region with 117,123 applicants.

Garcia attributed the high numbers to the expansion of the Register Anywhere Program (RAP) across the country.

“We believe that the RAP is causing the increase. It is being patronized by the people,” he said.

Under the RAP, any qualified applicant residing anywhere in the Philippines may register at RAP booths by submitting their application form, documentary requirements, and having their biometrics taken on-site.

The submitted documents and captured biometrics data shall then be endorsed and transmitted by the recipient RAP teams to the Office of the Election Officer of the district/city/municipality having jurisdiction over the residence of the applicant.

Meanwhile, the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) yesterday warned of potential voter disenfranchisement during the May 2025 due to the possibility of the simultaneous holding of the plebiscite for Charter Change.

In a phone interview, PPCRV spokesperson Ana Singson said they are concerned that some voters may be unable to cast their votes with the duration of casting of votes expected to be longer.

“Should the plebiscite and the midterm elections be held simultaneously, we should be mindful to ensure that the voting process and experience is as facile and as streamlined as possible since any additions and changes to the system could result in longer voting time, longer lines, and possible disenfranchisement,” said Singson.

To avoid such predicaments, she urged the Comelec to conduct a time and motion study on the casting of votes.

“If held simultaneously, time and motion studies as well as studies on navigability, given our new voting machines, should be conducted,” said Singson.

She, however, agreed that it would be better to hold the Charter Change plebiscite and the 2025 polls simultaneously.

“Separate activities could be costly and difficult to operationalize,” said Singson.

Earlier, the Comelec said it is capable of holding the 2025 midterm polls and the referendum for Charter Change simultaneously as proposed by President Marcos Jr.

The poll body said holding the twin electoral exercises means that as much as P13 billion can be saved by the Philippine government.

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It admitted, though, that the simultaneous holding could mean longer voting time for each voter since voters have to answer the plebiscite questions and elect their candidates at the same time.

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