Voter registration resumption in Batanes, Naga City rescheduled

MANILA, Philippines—Voter registration in Naga City and Batanes will begin a week after their respective electoral exercises this month, instead of on the nationwide start date of Nov. 10, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairperson George Erwin Garcia said.

Naga City will hold a plebiscite on Nov. 21 to determine whether it will become a highly urbanized city. 

Meanwhile, Batanes will hold special elections on Nov. 28 following the death of Rep. Ciriaco Gato Jr.

The registration schedule in the two areas will be adjusted to avoid confusion over who is eligible to vote in the upcoming plebiscite in Naga City and special elections in Batanes.

READ: 4 bets vying in Batanes special election for vacant congressional seat

“We will schedule registration about a week after the elections are conducted. We will then begin voter registration in those areas,” Garcia said in an ambush interview on Thursday.

Garcia said the suspension of the voter registration period would prevent residents from mistakenly believing that registering ahead of the electoral exercises would automatically make them eligible to take part on the special election and plebiscite.

“This is why we suspend registration beforehand: to avoid confusion about who is eligible to vote. People might assume that registering means they can immediately vote in the plebiscite or special elections,” he said.

READ: Comelec starts printing ballots for Batanes special polls, Naga plebiscite

He explained that the Comelec sets a cutoff for its official voters’ lists to ensure that only those registered beforehand can participate in an electoral exercise.

Citing Naga City and Batanes, Garcia said the Comelec would use the voters’ lists prepared for the postponed barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections to determine who would be eligible to vote in the upcoming plebiscite and special elections.

He added that having the lists already prepared for the barangay and SK elections made preparations for the two electoral exercises easier. /gsg

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