Four of 10 voter registration days have been on lockdown, preventing eligible voters from registering, Senator Kiko Pangilinan said on Wednesday as he urged the Commission on Elections to extend voter’s registration by one month, or from September 30 to October 31.
“Kada sampung araw ng registration, apat ay naka-lockdown. A one-month extension will not extensively hinder Comelec’s preparation for the elections, especially given that voter’s registration was suspended for half a year,” he said.
“We believe that a one-month extension is reasonable and even generous given the period we lost due to pandemic suspensions,” he added.
Pangilinan said Comelec set the September 30 deadline before the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Wala namang nakapag-predict nitong pandemya at ang epekto nito sa voter registration. Kaya dapat lang na mag-adjust ang Comelec,” he said.
Pangilinan said Comelec is allowed under Republic Act 8189 or the Voter’s Registration Act of 1996 to extend the registration period.
Citing the law, he said “no voter’s registration must be conducted in a 120 day-period before a regular election and a 90-day period before a special election.”
Comelec initially set the voter registration period from January 20, 2020 until September 30, 2021 for the May 9, 2022 national and local elections. But previous national and local elections have set deadlines that are on or before October 31 of the year before elections.
“Six elections before this have set voter’s registration deadline in October or even later. We have historical data saying it can work pre-pandemic. It’s only reasonable for adjustments to be made while we are under a state of public health emergency,” Pangilinan said.
Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)
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