Comelec to hold satellite voters registration in gov’t hospitals in March

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will be conducting satellite registration activities in government hospitals nationwide early next month. (Photo by Faisal Hermogeno Jackarain (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0)

According to Commissioner Rowena Guanzon the satellite registration in public hospitals will be from from March 1 to 8, to encourage females to register.

“Satellite registration activities from March 1 to March 8 will be held to help ensure wider women voter participation,” she said.

The satellite registration activity in the government hospital will target women and girls of voting age, who also reside in the area, but are currently patients and staff members of the medical facilities.

Guanzon, who is the head of the Comelec – Gender and Development (GAD) Committee noted that the activity is part of the poll body’s observance of the Women’s Month.

“One of the guiding principles of the Commission is inclusivity, such that all voters qualified to vote shall be given the opportunity to exercise their right to suffrage without discrimination in any form,” she said.

The poll body official added that the Offices of Election Officer (OEOs) will schedule a one-day satellite registration activity in a government hospital in their locality.

Comelec data reveal that out of the total 55,203,209 registered voters as of August 2016, a total of 28,429,511 (51.50 percent) are females, while the remaining 26,773,698 (48.50 percent) are males.

Last Wednesday, the Comelec already conducted a kick-off activities at the Quirino Memorial Medical Center (QMMC) in Quezon City (District 3) and at the Dr Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in the City of Manila (District 3) for potential women and girls voters.

The voter registration is for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) polls to be held on October 23.