The Commission on Elections has approved longer hours for per day voter registration and opened up signups for Saturdays and holidays but deadline on September 30 will remain, spokesperson James Jimenez said.

 

“Citing operational concerns particularly with timelines associated with the 2022 national elections, the Comelec en banc voted by majority vote not to extend the registration period,” Jimenez told reporters in a virtual press conference.

 

“However the commission did unanimously approve a package of modifications that was proposed by the Comelec Election Barangay Affairs Department that would allow people to register even on Saturdays and holidays for the remainder of the registration period,” he added.

 

Voter registration will be until 7:00 p.m., as soon as the Comelec resolution is promulgation, Jimenez said.

 

Various sectors have been pressing the Comelec to push back the registration deadline set on September 30, warning of voter disenfranchisement due to pandemic restrictions and lockdowns.

 

But Jimenez said the “commission is concerned that if we delay the end of voter registration, it will also cause corresponding delays in all other preparatory activities especially those that depend on the finalization of list of voters.”

 

He added that the Comelec has already met and gone beyond its target of 59 million registered voters and 4 million new voters for the 2022 polls, as they already recorded 60 million registered and 4.3 million new voters.

 

“We’ve met the expectations set in this registration period and we will continue working until end of registration period,” he added.