Polls body gets ready for mid-term elections

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has started preparing for the 2019 national and local elections.

This after the Commission already set the period for the holding of registration for the local and overseas voters in the midterm polls, which is scheduled to be held in less than three years from now.

Based on Comelec Resolution No. 10167, the start of the registration period, which will run for almost two years, for overseas absentee voters is on Dec. 1, 2016.

“The Commission fixes the registration period for overseas voting from Dec. 1, 2016 to Sept. 30, 2018,” said the ruling dated Oct. 28, 2016.

The Commission en banc added that those who are qualified to register as overseas voters are all citizens of the Philippines who are abroad or will be abroad during the 30-day voting period; at least 18 years old on Election Day; and are not otherwise disqualified by law.

There were a total of 1,376,067 registered overseas absentee voters in the May 9, 2016 national and local polls.

On the other hand, Comelec Resolution No. 10166 said the period for registration for local voters will begin after the holding of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) polls on Oct. 23, 2017.

“For the May 13, 2019 national and local elections, voter’s registration will be from Dec. 4, 2017 to Dec. 30, 2017, and Jan. 2, 2018 to Sept. 29, 2018,” reads part of the ruling dated Oct. 25, 2016.

Registrants as voters for the 2019 elections should be Filipino citizens; at least 18 years old on or before May 13, 2019; residents of the Philippines for at least one year; residents in the place where they propose to vote for at least six months before Election Day; and are not otherwise disqualified by law.

Meanwhile, the Comelec is set to start the voters’ registration period for the village and youth polls on Nov. 7 and will run until April 29, 2017.

There there were 54,363,844 registered voters nationwide in the May 2016 elections. (pna)