No voter’s registration in malls for the 2017 Barangay and SK polls—Comelec

FILE PHOTO: Personnel of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) checks registration application forms of a voter at the foot of an escalator during the opening of the Comelec satellite registration booth at the Robinsons Place Manila on Saturday, July 11,2015, on Ma.Orosa St.,Ermita Manila (Avito C. Dalan/PNA)

MANILA—There is no voter’s registration in malls for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections next year but the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is looking to hold it during the midterms polls in 2019.

According to Comelec Chairman Juan Andres Bautista, they do not see the need to have voter’s registration in malls since they are not expecting more voters to register for the October 2017 polls.

“Kasi dito sa barangay, hindi naman kailangan. Unang- una, kasi konti na lang ang pino-project natin, tapos mahaba naman yung panahon. Iniisip naming ibalik ang mall registration baka for the midterm elections, after the barangay elections,” he said.

Earlier, the poll body said they are looking to register some 5 million voters for the village and youth polls next year.

The registration period will be from Oct. 3, 2016 until April 29, 2017.

With this, Bautista explained that the satellite registration will be conducted in far flung areas, where Election Officers (Eos) will visit far away places.

“Ibig sabihin doon pupunta ‘yung mga EOs sa mga liblib na lugar,” he said.

It can be recalled that the poll body had conducted mall-based registration from July to October 2015 in different malls nationwide.