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Comelec exec urges 6.5M deactivated voters to reactivate status
By LLANESCA T. PANTI,GMA NewsThere are at least 6.5 million individuals who are deactivated voters or those who did not vote for two consecutive elections, Commissioner Rowena Guanzon of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Thursday.
“We have 61 million registered voters, but there are around 6.5 million deactivated voters who can reactivate [their status as registered voter],” Guanzon said during the Laging Handa briefing.
“They can reactivate thru sending an email to the Comelec, it is [on] our website [at comelec.gov.ph
]. The email of Comelec regional offices are there for those who were not able to vote for two consecutive national elections,” she added.The deadline for registering to vote for 2022 polls is September 30, although the Senate has adopted a resolution urging the poll body to extend the voter registration period given that quarantine restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic has limited people’s mobility to prevent virus transmission.
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Guanzon, however, said the Comelec has yet to decide on such extension.
“We [in the Comelec en banc] are yet to discuss it,” Guanzon added.
The filing of candidacy for the 2022 polls is scheduled October 1 to 8, and the Comelec has set the venue at Sofitel Hotel tent in Pasay City for a more spacious venue, given the COVID-19 pandemic.
The pandemic has also prompted the Comelec to only allow one companion per candidate who is filing certificate of candidacy. Antigen COVID-19 test will be provided for free by the Comelec, but the cost of the COVID-19 test of the companion will not be shouldered by the poll body.
The 2022 polls will be held on May 9 next year. — RSJ, GMA News