Comelec receives close to 500,000 voter applications thru satellite registration

Commission on Elections (Comelec) at the Palacio del Gobernador Bldg., Gen. Luna St. cor. Andres Soriano Jr. Ave, Intramuros, Manila (Photo: Ramon FVelasquez/Wikipedia)

MANILA—Close to 500,000 individuals are looking to register for the forthcoming Oct. 23 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Elections, the Commission on Election (Comelec) said on Wednesday.

The poll body reported that they have received a total of 490,892 applications in satellite registration centers nationwide for the period of more than two months since the registration started.

“A total of 490,892 applications for registration have been received for a period of nine weeks, from November 2016 to January 2017, during the ongoing satellite registration of voters nationwide,” the Comelec said in a statement.

Data revealed that a total of 81,318 applications have been received from regular registrants; while another 72,745 applications are for the SK.

Aside from voter registration, the Comelec also received applications for transfer, reactivation, correction/change, reinstatement, and inclusion of records in the list of voters.

The poll body through Resolution 10166 has directed all city and municipal Election Officers (EOs) to intensify the conduct of satellite registration by holding at least two or more in every barangay.

The figure does not include those that have been filing their application for voter registration at the local Offices of Election Officers (OEOs) since November 7, 2016.

The Election Registration Board (ERB) will be the one to decide whether to approve/disapprove the application for their inclusion to the list of voters.

The continuing voter registration will run until April 29, 2017 except on April 13 and 14.

The Comelec is looking to register additional five million voters for the coming elections, including three million for the village polls and two million youth voters.