Voters urged to register

TO avoid the election rush the Commission on Election Cordillera Administrative Region (Comelec-CAR) is urging the qualified voters to grab the opportunity to register early as now.

Comelec CAR director Atty. Julius Torres said the early registration is for them to have better preparation for the incoming election as well as for the earlier release of voter certification and voter ID.

Application period is until April to prepare for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) election October this year.

Late applications will not be entertained.

Regional Comelec offices conducted off site registration in different barangays for the public to be given easier access and to cover all qualified voters to be registered for them to participate in the upcoming election.

Torres said the offsite registrations will help voters if they have no convenient time to apply at the Comelec offices eliminating odds of unregistered voters.

Torres said there are still voters without biometrics and are in the danger of being delisted for the upcoming elections.

Applicants are required to bring their identification cards or legal documents to attest to their identity, voters must be a Filipino citizen and should have resided at least 6 months in the barangay intended to exercise the right to suffrage.

Flying voters during the election are prohibited and they may be charged of criminal act.

In the previous election, the region has recorded a total of 919,868

qualified voters composed of 463,008 males and 456,860 females.

Benguet logged with highest voters at 173,057 while Apayao had the least voters with 35,545.

The Comelec is expecting to have an increase of voters if all those qualified will register together with those without biometrics.

Cases of suspected vote buying were lodged in the Comelec but were dismissed by the Comelec due to lack of evidence and probable cause.