Comelec to suspend voters’ registration

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will suspend voters’ registration in the National Capital Region (NCR), which will be placed under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) from Aug. 6 to 20.

In a statement yesterday, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said the poll body will resume its operations once the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Infectious Diseases (IATF) lifts the restrictions in NCR.

“Needless to say, the Comelec strives continuously to register more eligible citizens, but at this perilous juncture, the top priority should be the safety and health of the electorate,” Jimenez told reporters in a Viber message.

Jimenez said the NCR’s return to ECQ will hurt the voters’ registration numbers, but he emphasized that the Comelec has surpassed its target of four million registered voters for the 2022 general elections.

It was not clear if the Comelec will extend voters’ registration in areas under ECQ, including Metro Manila.

The Comelec said on its official social media pages that there are only 61 days left before the last day of voters’ registration on Sept. 30.