THE Commission on Elections recorded over one million voter registrations as of January 13, in time for the forthcoming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections.

Comelec previously suspended the acceptance of voter applications due to the postponement of the December 2022 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections. The agency opened the latest leg of the registration on December 12 and is set to end on January 31.

According to Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco, the agency received 1,024,521 applications since the resumption of the voter registration on December 12. This number is expected to increase considering that Comelec will be accepting applications until the end of the month.

“Based on the last update on registration as of January 13, 2023, the running total of registration applications is already at 1,024,521, which we expect to significantly increase as we include the final output of last week, as well as the still ongoing reception of applications,” Laudiangco said.

He also noted that the latest figures do not reflect the total registrants acquired through Comelec’s “Register Anywhere Project,” which amounted to 3,992 as of January 15.

Register Anywhere Project

Launched on December 17, Comelec’s “Register Anywhere Project” allows non-registered Filipino citizens to submit their application requirements in places other than their residence.

Comelec said in a press release that any qualified applicant may conveniently tender their application form, documentary requirements, and have their biometrics taken in any RAP booth in designated NCR malls.

Previously, applicants may only submit their application in their respective localities.

“The submitted documents and captured biometrics data shall then be indorsed and transmitted by the recipient RAP teams to the OEO of the district/city/municipality having jurisdiction over the residence of the applicant for the requisite verification, publication/posting and Election Registration Board (ERB) Hearing,” Comelec wrote.

RAP is conducted every Saturday and Sunday from December 17 to January 29.

Voter registration

Comelec recently held its voter registration seminars to magnify the number of registered voters nationwide. The commission is said to prioritize far-flung areas yielding low voter turnout.

These voter registration seminars will run from January 9 to 13 and Comelec is set to visit 30 schools in various provinces in the Philippines.

This project also included satellite registration in selected schools around the country to allow citizens to have immediate access to voter registration.

On January 9 and 10, Comelec was able to visit a total of 4,629 senior high school students in the provinces of Isabela, Cagayan, Negros Oriental, Tarlac, Bohol, Lanao del Norte, Davao, Zamboanga, and Capiz. 

The seminar aims to discuss election-related topics including the importance of being a voter, the step-by-step process of voter registration, the qualifications and duties of elected officials in the Barangay and SK, and the fight against disinformation in elections among others.

Comelec logged 738 regular applicants and 982 SK applicants, for a running total of 1,730 registrants as of January 10.

Banner courtesy: Patrick Roque | Wikimedia Commons