Civil registry doc needed in purge of deceased from voter’s list

MANILA – There is a process that needs to be observed in removing names of deceased voters from the official list of voters, an official of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said on Tuesday.

“We cannot immediately remove the names of those who died because of Republic Act (RA) No. 8189 otherwise known as the continuing registration law. The Comelec cannot automatically remove them,” Commissioner George Erwin Garcia said in a radio interview.

Garcia explained that the civil registry office of a local government unit has to issue first a certification that an individual has died before his or her name can actually be removed from the list by the poll body’s election registration board.

“Supposed to be, they (civil registry) should be giving regular updates to the Comelec on that matter. However, it does not happen because they do not immediately issue these certifications,” he added.

This came amid concerns that the names of deceased voters who remain on the list may be used for poll cheating by unscrupulous individuals.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported a total of 613,936 recorded deaths in 2020, the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

It also reported over 700,000 deaths as of November 2021.

At the same time, Garcia reminded the public that the name of the registered voter must be in the Election Day Computerized Voting List (EDCVL) inside the precincts for him/her to be able to vote on Election Day.

“If his name is in the Posted Computerized Voters Lists (PCVLs) which can be found outside the precinct but cannot be found in the Election Day Computerized Voting List (EDCVL), he will not be allowed to vote,” he said.

He also urged citizens arms, and other stakeholders to participate in the verification of voters lists and also for voters to check their assigned voting centers with their local poll body office.

On the other hand, he added that voters will each receive the voter’s information sheet (VIS) to be distributed by the poll body before the May 9 polls.

The VIS shall include the voter’s name, address, the precinct and the place where he is registered, and simplified instructions as to the casting of votes.