No more Voter IDs

In 2012, the COMELEC made the decision to discontinue the issuance of Voter IDs, in anticipation of the arrival of the new National ID system. And although the National ID still hasn’t been launched (the whole idea got a boost during the early days of the lockdowns, but I haven’t heard much about it since), the COMELEC still does not issue new Voter IDs. Just to be clear, the Voter IDs actually issued before 2012 – if you haven’t claimed yours yet – are probably available at the COMELEC Office of the City or Municipality where you registered. But there will be no new Voter IDs issued – at least for the time being. Not Needed for Voting Voter IDs are not required for to exercise your right of suffrage. Pwede ka bumoto, kahit wala kang Voter ID. All you need is any valid ID – driver’s license, company ID, school ID, etc – and only if there is a need to verify your identity. This means that even if you don’t have a voter ID, you can still vote. Don’t believe scammers who tell you that you can’t vote without an ID. Don’t believe scammers who tell you they can get you a voter ID. The truth is, whatever ID these people give you WILL BE A FAKE ANYWAY. Peke yan. Bogus. Nagtapon ka lang ng pera kapag binayaran mo yan. Voter Certifications Voter Certifications have been around for a long time – even when the COMELEC was still issuing Voter IDs. With the Voter IDs no longer being issued, however, the voter certification has assumed greater prominence. Many – if not all – of the agencies and offices (even businesses) accept the voter certification as proof of a person’s status as a registered voter. Most prominent of these agencies, of course, is the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). A bit of welcome news now. While at present, applying for a voter’s certification still has to be done in person, the COMELEC is getting close to approving an online application process that could be rolled out sooner rather than later. So, watch out for that!