Philippines’ Comelec ends biometrics registration for voters
The Philippines’ Commission on Elections (Comelec) denied requests for postponing the deadline for voter registration, thus ending the 17-month registration period on October 31 for the 2016 general elections, according to The Philippine Star.
Last week, Ang Kabataan party-list group called on the Philippines’ Supreme Court to urge the Commission on Elections to extend the registration period to January 8, citing technical difficulties of the biometrics registration technology.
“No extension. We gave the people a year and a half to register and validate their biometrics. I think we have done enough to let the people know about the registration,” said Comelec chairman Andres Bautista.
The agency did, however, extend the voters’ registration in some areas that were hit by Typhoon Lando in Cagayan Valley region.
Meanwhile, those citizens who did register and submit their biometrics with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) cannot yet be officially considered registered voters, according to a report by Inquirer.net.
The Comelec said that applications for registration forms (ARF) will still be required to go through the Election Registration Board’s (ERB) hearing process before their names will be added to the certified list of voters.
The ERB consists of a city or municipal election officer, a public school official and the local civil registrar.
“Many people who were able to register are saying that they are full-fledged voters already,” said Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez. “Technically speaking, they cannot be considered as such because their applications have yet to go through the ERB. Only after the ERB has heard and approved their voter applications can they say that they are valid voters.”
The Comelec previously projected that the number of registered voters for next year’s election will exceed the combined number of voters registered for the last two polls.
The ERB is authorized by the Comelec to hold a meeting to certify the list of voters until February 4, 2016, with the official list of voters posted on February 9.
Article Topics
biometric authentication | biometric database | biometrics | Comelec | election | Philippines | voter registration
Comments
19 Replies to “Philippines’ Comelec ends biometrics registration for voters”
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Philippines’ Comelec ends #biometrics registration for voters: https://t.co/bEcLk4eYx3
Philippines’ Comelec ends biometrics registration for voters https://t.co/DHv7bYEo0z
Philippines’ Comelec ends biometrics registration for voters: The Philippines’ Commission… https://t.co/Vk4rtf0WhT via @BiometricUpdate
Philippines’ Comelec ends biometrics registration for voters: The Philippines’ Commission on Elections (Comele… https://t.co/RY1EA3YkRc
Philippines’ Comelec ends biometrics registration for voters – Biometric Update https://t.co/XsaMeabQfP
Philippines’ Comelec ends biometrics registration for voters: The Philippines’ Commission on Elections (Comele… https://t.co/xbf3zQJ4l0
Philippines’ Comelec ends biometrics registration for voters – Biometric Update https://t.co/yW4bik3wRt
Philippines’ Comelec ends biometrics registration for voters: The Philippines’ Commission on Elections (Comele… https://t.co/PHrZkaGGz9
Philippines’ Comelec ends biometrics registration for voters – Biometric Update https://t.co/569w5sxQ8z
RT @BiometricUpdate: Philippines’ Comelec ends #biometrics registration for voters: https://t.co/GvpQXhxOS6
Philippines’ Comelec ends biometrics registration for voters – Biometric Update https://t.co/JovvlQhrCf
Philippines’ Comelec ends biometrics registration for voters: The Philippines’ Commission on Elections (Comele… https://t.co/mYzrIUei12
Philippines’ Comelec ends biometrics registration for voters – Biometric Update https://t.co/QLtsUJW5a4
RT @BiometricUpdate: #Philippines’ #Comelec ends #biometrics registration for voters: https://t.co/S38cDIJmo7
RT @BiometricUpdate: Philippines’ Comelec ends #biometrics registration for voters: https://t.co/5oEAV7ouFk
Philippines’ Comelec ends biometrics registration for voters: The Philippines’ Commission on Elections (Comele… https://t.co/dkFuflvtcN
RT @BiometricUpdate: Philippines’ Comelec ends #biometrics registration for voters: https://t.co/exoPP2tMEs
https://t.co/6fvps3IiKJ
Philippines’ Comelec ends #biometrics registration for voters https://t.co/ozWezVMMJz via @BiometricUpdate