Walk-in voter registrants flock to malls to beat Sept. 30 deadline

Voter applicants flocked to malls designated as registration sites as early as Tuesday night to make it to the Wednesday cutoff a day before the deadline set by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

At SM Sangandaan in Caloocan, some voter applicants from the city's Districts 1 and 2 started falling in line as early as 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to a report by James Agustin on GMA News' Unang Balita.

All of them are hoping that the Comelec will extend the voter registration deadline beyond September 30, since there were many who were unable to register earlier due to the lockdowns. However, to be sure, they lined up early hoping to be able to register on Wednesday.

Residents brought food and mats, expecting a long wait. Many are first-time voters hoping to exercise their right to vote in Eleksyon 2022 in May.

Mall guards allowed the first 150 walk-in applicants to enter the building before 5 a.m. Wednesday. The next 100 will be allowed in next.

The guards said it would be up to the Comelec if it will add more slots to the 250 allotted for walk-in voter applicants.

Pasig

Meanwhile, at the SM East Ortigas in Pasig, 700 slots for voter applicants from the city's District 2 have been allocated for Wednesday by the Comelec, according to a report by Bam Alegre on Unang Balita.

No walk-in registrants will be accommodated at this site, which caused frustration among some residents who arrived before dawn.

All voter applicants should have previously registered online, and should show a valid ID and proof of residence on site.

Provinces

In provinces, queues for voter registrations were also long, according to a separate report on Unang Balita.

In Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, many voters were reactivating their registration after not having voted for the past two elections. Others were transferring their registration from Manila.

In Bontoc, Mt. Province, many applicants were first-time voters.

In Zamboanga City, voters flocked to the mall site, prompting officials to ask the help of police to ensure order.

Meanwhile, in Antipolo City, those who were not able to meet the cutoff on Wednesday expressed frustration after having lined up for hours outside a mall.

Later in the morning, Comelec chairman Sheriff Abas announced the poll body is set to extend the voter registration from October 9 to 31.

This will be formalized in an en banc session later today, Wednesday, he added.

The Senate on Monday approved on third reading the measure that seeks to extend voter registration for Eleksyon 2022 to October 31, 2021.

The House of Representatives on Monday also approved on third and final reading the measure seeking to extend the voter registration for Eleksyon 2022. —KG, GMA News