Avoid the Rush – COMELEC

LAOAG CITY (May 5) – The Commission on Elections has advised first time voters in this city to avoid the rush by signing up early for the 2013 elections.

On top of the registration process, the Comelec has also started purging its list of voters to exclude those who are dead and who have transferred to another place in preparation for the 2013 elections.

City Election Supervisor John Paul Martin said the purging of voters’ list is part of the Commission’s validation and registration program.

“We need to fix our records this early to avoid confusion at the 11th hour comes election day in 2013,” he said.

Comelec records showed that of the 71,577 registered voters for 2010, at least 30,026 voters are required for validation which means that they still lack the biometrics scan and digital photo in their voters’ record.

He advised voters who seek to have a transfer of voting place or have their biometrics and digital photo taken to avoid the rush by proceeding to the Comelec office.

The Comelec has tapped the support of the Local Civil Registry in tracking down voters who have died or migrated to another country.

The voters’ registration and validation will continue until 2012. (ANL/CCA-PIA 1 Ilocos Norte)