Voters’ registration time stretched

10/22/2009

Expecting half a million more voters to register, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has decided to stretch the registration hours in order to accommodate them all.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said the poll body lengthened the registration period starting today (Oct. 22) until the 30th from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. in all the field offices of the poll body nationwide.

While on Oct. 31, Jimenez said voters would be given until midnight to register.

“We are aware that a lot of Filipinos choose to register at the last minute. So in order to accommodate them and also to address the growing crowds at our field offices as we near the registrations deadline, the Comelec en banc has ordered the extension of office hours in all registrations centers nationwide,” Jimenez said.

At a press briefing, Jimenez said that as of July there are already 45 million voters registered and in the remaining 10 days before the Oct. 31 deadline they expect more than 500,000 to enlist to be able to participate and vote in the May 2010 polls.

Earlier, the Comelec en banc had extended the registration days in the areas affected by typhoons “Ondoy” and “Pepeng” which include Regions I, II, III, IV-A, V, Cordillera Administrative Region and the National Capital Region to enable voters to list up.

Besides extending the hours of registration, the Comelec also deployed additional 62 data capturing machines to hasten the registration process in 30 selected areas in Metro Manila.

“The reason why we are moving a little slowly is because we are using only one or two machines in some places. A machine can usually register 200 per day but with the additional units I think it will increase,” Jimenez said.

Marie Surbano

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