What’s Going On?
The voter registration period for the upcoming 2022 Philippine Elections is set to end on September 30. But as the restrictions induced by the pandemic have lessened the opportunities to register, there have been many calls for the extension of voter registration.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec), however, refuses the extension as they have to follow the calendar of activities for the 2022 elections under Comelec Resolution No. 10695. Extending the deadline might cause a "domino effect" that would delay other activities. Instead, the Comelec will increase work hours and will open on Saturdays and holidays.
The Senate initially filed a bill to extend voter registration by an additional month. Later, it adopted the proposal of the House of Representatives which would extend it for more than 30 days, with the chamber’s approval. The House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms then approved the bill. However, the bill in question has not been approved yet by the president and is still under consideration.
Background of the Process
Even after filing the application, the individual does not instantly become a registered voter. This is because all applications must first be approved by the Elections Registration Board (ERBs) of each city and municipality. After the application has been approved, only then will the applicant become a registered voter. The list of approved voters will then have their biometric data sent to the Comelec Main Office where Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) screening will be employed to compare biometric information and check for “hits” or double registration. These hits are then manually verified and returned to the local ERBs to be deleted.
The registration process needs to be completed in time for the other administrative preparations for the upcoming elections to proceed. Some of which include the allocation of official ballots, election returns, and other election forms and paraphernalia; finalization of the Computerized Voters List; and the preparation, bidding, printing, and distribution of Voter’s Information Sheet.
Problems with holding an Extension
The deadline for registration was set by Comelec years prior as included in the Calendar of Activities set in Comelec Resolution 10695, dated February 10, 2021. This was set so that it would fall before the last scheduled Election Registration Board (ERB) of the year, which under the law is supposed to be held on the third Monday of October or by October 18, 2021.
Aside from that, the Republic Act 8189 mandates a “system of continuing registration of voters.” Section 8 states that the voter registration deadline to be at least 120 days before a regular election. This means that for the May 9, 2022, elections, it is possible to have its voter’s registration open until January 9, 2022.
However, this law was passed in 1996 when automated systems such as the AFIS were not utilized in elections. Back then, elections were done manually which required only three months of preparation much shorter than the two years needed for an automated election.
Every Vote Counts
The outcome of the 2022 Philippine presidential election will dictate how the country will overcome the pandemic and recover from it. There have been numerous criticisms against the current administration regarding how they dealt with this public health crisis. With evidence of mishandlings, the importance of holding officials accountable remains. However, no amount of social media posts on such topics will equate to an actual vote. Voting is a right, which no matter the social status is given to everyone.
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