VOTER registration activities nationwide for the 2025 National and Local Elections (2025 NLE) will resume today, with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) projecting at least three million new voters to file their applications over the next seven months.
Elections chairman George Garcia called on the public to file their applications as soon as possible instead of waiting for the deadline on September 30, 2024.
“There is no reason to not get registered. We want to register three million voters, whom our projections show still need to be registered,” said Garcia in a recent media briefing.
Garcia said the poll body is making voter registration accessible to all by holding satellite registration activities in barangays, malls, educational institutions, and other establishments.
Similarly, he said the Comelec is expanding the Register Anywhere Program (RAP) to all capital cities and towns and highly urbanized cities, as well as in national government offices and agencies, schools and universities, and other public and private places.
“You cannot vote if you are not registered. We will definitely find you. Wherever you are in the country, in the north or south end of the Philippines, we will find you and we will register you,” said Garcia.
The Comelec said voter registration activities will be held Mondays to Saturdays, including holidays, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Eligible to register are Filipinos who are at least 18 years of age on Election Day (May 12, 2025), a resident of the Philippines for at least one year, resides in the place where he/she proposes to vote for at least six months immediately preceding the 2025 NLE, and not otherwise disqualified by law.
The Comelec said registrants must accomplish one copy of the application form, which is available free of charge at the Office of the Election Officer (OEO) or which may be downloaded at www.comelec.gov.ph and printed on long bond paper (8 in. x 13 in.).
In addition to the duly filled-out application form, registrants must present valid IDs bearing his/her signature. Valid IDs include the National Identification (ID) card under the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys), postal ID card, PWD ID card; student’s ID card or library card signed by the authorized school authority, senior citizen’s ID card; Land Transportation Office (LTO) driver’s license/student permit, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) clearance, Philippine passport, Social Security System (SSS)/Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) or other Unified Multi-Purpose ID card; Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) ID card; license issued by the Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC), Certificate of Confirmation issued by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) in case of members of ICCs or IPs; barangay identification/certification with photo, or any other valid government-issued IDs.
On the other hand, the Comelec said employee IDs will not be accepted as valid ID for purposes of voter registration.
The Comelec said online filing of applications may also be availed but only for reactivation, reactivation with transfer of registration within the same city/municipality/district, or with correction of entries; and reactivation with updating of records of senior citizens and persons with disabilities.
The poll body said online applications may be filed until September 7, 2024, through the official email addresses of the OEOs, which may be accessed through www.comelec.gov.ph.
As for the RAP, the Comelec said it can be availed by those applying as new registrants, transfer of registration from another city/municipality/district, transfer of registration from overseas to local, correction of entries or change of status, and reactivation.
