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Feature: Guide to Voting Registration for 2022
Are you angry at how things are going on in the country? Are you tired of the incompetencies of our leaders? One of the easiest things we can do as a step toward change is to vote. The 2022 Election is just around the corner. Are you ready to exercise one of your rights as a Filipino citizen? Here is the step-by-step guide to help you navigate your way to being an active citizen.
Registering to vote is the starting point towards putting into practice our duty as Filipino citizens. It is a requirement to undergo this process if you plan to choose our country’s next leaders. Voters’ registration for the May 2022 Elections started on September 1, 2020, and will end on September 30, 2021. While this date seems far away, it’s better to start preparing early, especially with the coronavirus scare.
Before following this step-by-step guide, you must know if you're eligible to exercise your democratic rights. To be a qualified voter, you must:
- Be a Filipino Citizen who hasn’t registered with the Commission on Elections (COMELEC). Registering to vote can only be done once. Once you have already registered, you don't have to register for the next election.
- Be at least 18 years old on or before the election on May 9, 2022.
- Have lived in the Philippines for at least a year; six months in the city or municipality where you intend to vote.
- Be at least 15 years old but not older than 30 years old for Sangguniang Kabataan (SK). SK is a council representing the youth for each barangay.
It is important to plan your registration especially with the pandemic still in our midst. Planning your registration helps you avoid the possibility of forgetting important documents, Multiple trips, long lines, and crowded places.
1. Gather the registration requirements.
For first-time registrants, the COMELEC requires at least one of the following IDs listed below and its corresponding photocopy for identification.
- Driver’s license
- Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) ID
- National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) clearance
- Passport
- Postal ID
- Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) ID
- Persons with Disability (PWD) ID
- School ID or library card (for students)
- Senior Citizen ID
- SSS/GSIS ID/UMID
- Certificate of Confirmation from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP)
- Any other valid ID with your photo and signature (except for cedula, police clearance, and barangay clearance/certificate).
As a safeguard against any possible complications, bring more identification cards than the number required; and bring IDs that reflect your current address. For applicants turning 18 on the 2022 elections, you must also bring the original and a photocopy of your birth certificate.
2. Fill out the “Application for Registration” form.
Download the application form from the COMELEC website and print it on a long bond paper (8.5”x13”). Remember not to use A4 or legal size papers. Fill it out before you register, but don’t put your signature and thumbprint yet; this must be done in front of the election officer.
The form can be found on this website: https://comelec.gov.ph/?r=VoterRegistration/ApplicationsForms
3. Schedule an appointment.
Following the pandemic protocols, COMELEC offices limit the number of people coming in per day to reduce the spread of the virus as much as possible. COMELEC offices in the Philippines that are under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) or Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) are still suspended and will only resume once the restrictions are downgraded to a General Community Quarantine's (GCQ) guidelines. If appointment protocols are not present at your local COMELEC office, try to come as early as possible for more comfortable accommodation. You may go to the COMELEC offices from Monday to Thursday, 8:00 am - 3:00 pm.
4. Follow the COVID-19 protocols for COMELEC offices.
We have to take excess measures to ensure our safety from the virus. To do that, we must follow the protocols to protect ourselves and each other.
- Wearing a face mask and a face shield is required; otherwise, you may not enter.
- Bring your own pen. You may use black or blue pens only.
- Use the disinfectant mat and the sanitizer at the entrance.
- Observe social distancing among your peers.
- Don’t forget to complete the Coronavirus Self-Declaration Form for health protocols.
Now that you have learned what and how to prepare before the registration, the actual process of registration is going to be a breeze. Here’s what you need to do:
- Go to the nearest COMELEC office and follow the health protocols before entering the building.
- Present your registration requirements.
- The office will validate your identity, residency, and voters’ registration in the government’s database.
- Have your profiles documented.
- Your photo, fingerprint, and signature will be captured in this process.
- Wait for the acknowledgment receipt
- This is the document that ensures that you are now an official registered voter.
With these easy steps, we will have the chance to choose leaders who will be responsible for shaping our nation. Freedom to choose your favored party or administration is both a privilege and a right. Voting allows us to exercise our country’s democracy. Remember that your vote matters when it comes to investing in a better future for our country, so plan your registration carefully and vote wisely. //by Jelena Evangelista
Sources:
COMELEC Registration 2020 for Overseas and OFW Voters. (2020, September 11). Retrieved January 10, 2021, from Moneymax website: https://www.moneymax.ph/government-services/articles/comelec-registration-2020
Ghaz, S. (2019, February 27). Voter Registration: Steps On How To Register As Voter In Philippines. Retrieved January 10, 2021, from Philippine News website: https://philnews.ph/2019/02/27/voter-registration-steps-register-voter-philippines/
Government PH (2018, July 2). Voter Registration Application Procedures | COMELEC Guidelines. Retrieved January 10, 2021, from Government PH website: https://governmentph.com/voter-registration-application-procedures/ Rappler.com. (2020, November 6). How to register to vote in the time of a pandemic. Retrieved January 10, 2021, from Rappler website: https://www.rappler.com/hustle/adulting/ways-register-to-vote-philippines-covid-19-pandemic
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