The resumption of continuing registration will not be today, August 1, 2010. It will be on Wednesday, the 4th.
In preparation for that day, how about some basic facts about registration?
For example, a person need register only once in his lifetime. That’s either when he turns eighteen, or when he feels ready to cast his vote. We’ve had first time voters who were FORTY YEARS OLD! Imagine that.
Once a person is registered, he can immediately vote in the next elections and ALL elections after that. So, when COMELEC people say “registration for the Barangay elections,” it DOES NOT mean that the upcoming registration is for the Barangay Elections only.
When a person registers, he can immediately vote in the next elections. So, in this case, when a person registers during the Aug 4 – 13 window, he can immediately vote in the Barangay Elections in October.
PLUS!! He can vote in all subsequent elections WITHOUT THE NEED TO RE-REGISTER, as long as he votes regularly.
If he misses two consecutive regular elections, his registration will be DE-ACTIVATED. De-activated – NOT DELETED; which means he’s still on the list (and therefore does NOT need to re-register) but he has to take action to RE-ACTIVATE his registration.
Now, the most common mistake people make is when they transfer residences. Many feel that they have to register as new voters in the place they transfered to. NO NEED. All they need to do is file an application for a TRANSFER of REGISTRATION.
And speaking of applications, did you know that the whole process you go through is actually just the first half of the entire registration process? That’s the FILING-OF-APPLICATIONS stage where the future voter:
- presents himself as a new voter;
- has his identity verified and is given an application form;
- fills up the application form;
- submits himself to biometric capture, i.e., has his picture taken, and has his fingerprints and signature electronically recorded; and finally
- receives an ACKNOWLEDGEMENT RECEIPT.
Many people assume this is the end of it. It isn’t. Like I said, it’s just the first half. The second half of the process goes like this:
- The collected application forms are sent to the Election Registration Board;
- The Board receives and hears all challenges against any application;
- The Board decides to approve or deny each application; and
- The Board’s rulings are then posted on the wall of the COMELEC office.
It’s only when the ERB finally decides and posts its decision can the applicant call himself a full-fledged voter.
More info, next post!