Special voter registration set for vulnerable sectors

SENIOR citizens, persons with disability and other members of the vulnerable sectors who want to register as voters will be given special attention through the establishment of satellite registration activities, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said.

In a statement, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said there will be special satellite voter registration activities for the youth, senior citizens, women who care for small children, persons deprived of liberty (PDL), persons with disability (PWD), and members of indigenous peoples (IPs).

Registration of voters will be held from August 1, 2019 to September 30, 2019.

At least one satellite voter registration activity in a locality shall be conducted during the two-month voter registration period.

"To enable their full and effective participation in the elections on an equal basis with others, members of the vulnerable sectors will be given special attention in the upcoming voter registration," said Jimenez.

This, he said, means that all Offices of the Election Officers (OEOs) nationwide are directed to coordinate with concerned non-government organizations empowering PWDs, women and senior citizens, and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) or its affiliate organizations in their locality for the conduct of the said activity.

During the registration process, any PWD or illiterate person or member of IPs may be assisted in the preparation of his/her application form by the election officer, any member of an accredited citizen’s arm, a relative within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity, or any person of his/her confidence living in the same household.

A supplementary form shall be accomplished, wherein PWDs and senior citizens will indicate their willingness to vote in the precincts assigned in accessible polling places, while members of IPs shall indicate his/her tribe or community.

Members of IPs who do not have government IDs may present their Certificate of Confirmation issued by the NCIP as a valid identification document to the registration team.

A gender-sensitive registration process shall also be observed by giving full access to the registration processes of women who care for small children by encouraging the local government units to open their day care centers for use as holding areas for children of registrants on registration days.

Express lanes will also be provided for PWDs, senior citizens, and pregnant applicants at the Office of the Election Officer or any satellite registration site, where they are not the only registrants.

For the registration of PDLs in detention centers/jails, those who shall be 18 years of age on Election Day and/or are committed inside the detention centers for at least six months immediately preceding Election Day may register as a voter. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)

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