Comelec extends suspension of voter registration until June 30

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Saturday announced the extension of the suspension of voter registration after the government extended the enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila and other high-risk areas until May 15.

In a statement, the Comelec said it extended the suspension of voter registration activities up to June 30, 2020.

The extension was approved “in light of the extension of the implementation of the Enhanced Community Quarantine until May 15 in select areas in the country,” Comelec Executive Director Bartolome Sinocruz Jr. said.

“The conduct of voter registration is not yet advisable since there will be restrictions on the movement of people and on certain activities,” Sinocruz said.

The suspension, the Comelec said, is in effect nationwide, encompassing voter in all its offices and satellite registration sites.

This is the third suspension of voter registration due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

On March 9, the Comelec suspended voter registration until March 31. On March 27, it rescheduled the lifting of the suspension from March 31 to April 30.

“The period from May 1 to June 30 will give the Commission time to put in place anti-COVID-19 measures in relation to the conduct of the registration of voters once it resumes,” Sinocruz said.

Meanwhile, the Comelec said that the issuance of voter’s certification remains suspended until April 30, or until such time that the ECQ has been lifted. —Ted Cordero/KG, GMA News