The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) announced yesterday, June 29, that voter registration will be suspended until Aug. 31. Satellite registration will also remain suspended in all COMELEC offices nationwide.
In a press release posted today, June 30, COMELEC informed the public that the suspension is due to the consistent rising number of COVID-19 cases in the country.
“The suspension was previously set only until June 30 but was extended for two more months in view of the still rising number of COVID-19 cases nationwide,” said COMELEC spokesperson James Jimenez. “Our field personnel continue to outfit their existing offices and procure supplies in order to be COVID-19 ready. We are continuously refining our guidelines and health safety protocols so that we do not contribute to the further spread of the virus.”
Last Mar. 9, COMELEC suspended registration in all cities and municipalities to Mar. 31. Subsequently, the poll body extended the suspension to Apr. 30 and again to June 30. The current extension to Aug. 30 is the fourth time that the COMELEC suspended registration due to the threat of COVID-19.
There was no mention of whether or not COMELEC will adopt an online method of registration.
The next Philippine presidential, legislative and local election is on May 2022. The next barangay election is on Dec. 2022.
As of writing, there have been 36,438 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country, with 1,255 deaths and 9,956 recoveries.
Header photo courtesy of Element5 Digital on Unsplash
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