Barangay and SK polls: 168 join first day of voter registration in Talisay

A TOTAL of 168 individuals have registered on the first day of registration for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections in the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in Talisay City, Cebu.

Lawyer Charisse Faith Sojor, election officer of Comelec Talisay, said she is expecting a turnout of 500 registrants every day until the registration period ends on July 23.

The registration for Barangay and SK elections is held at the satellite Comelec office on the second floor of Starmall in Barangay Lawaan, Mondays through Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sojor said they chose Starmall as their registration venue since it has enough space to accommodate more registrants than their office at the Talisay City Hall.

"Nangita ta ug mas dako-dako nga venue kay kon diri man gud sa opisina (sa Talisay City Hall) gamay ang lugar, ang pagsulod sa daghan'g mga tawo nga magpa-rehistro maka-affect gyud sa ubang opisina," Sojor said.

(We are looking for a bigger venue because our office (in Talisay City Hall) is small, the large number of people who will register will affect other offices).

The Comelec satellite office in Starmall is situated next to the vaccination site so that people can easily register after being vaccinated.

Sojor admitted receiving a request from a barangay official that the voters' registration will be done in their area but they turned it down due to lack of manpower.

"Actually, we received one request but it is very difficult to suspend the voters' registration in Starmall just by giving in to their demand as people already know that Starmall is the registration venue," Sojor said in Cebuano.

Just like Antonio Restauro, 81, and his wife Margarita, 77, of Barangay Pooc, Talisay City, who went to Comelec Starmall to register as new voters as their names have already been delisted as they failed to vote since they went to California, USA 27 years ago. (BBT, TPT)