COTABATO CITY – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has begun Tuesday special registration of voters in preparation for the upcoming plebiscite on the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) next year.
Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said special satellite registrations will be held in the provinces of Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Lanao del Norte, and North Cotabato, and in the cities of Cotabato and Isabela for the plebiscite set on January 21, 2019.
The registration shall run until September 13 and it will be supervise by nine teams from the Comelec central office in Manila, according to Jimenez, who was in Cotabato on Monday.
He said there is an augmentation of the existing workforce conducted by the local election offices in the plebiscite areas. The special registration will cover applications for voter’s registration, transfer of registration, reactivation, change/correction of entries, and inclusion/reinstatement of records.
Jimenez said those who already registered for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections need not register again. And those who are not of proper age, or 18 years old and above, on the day of the plebiscite cannot join the special election.
Comelec ARMM Director Ray Sumalipao also said the satellite registration will only cater to the residents of plebiscite areas. However, those who wish to transfer residency, or transfer registration records, may file transfer of registration applications stating their new address. Registrants should present any valid ID.
“We want to get as many potential voters involved in the plebiscite in consonant with the spirit of the Bangsamoro Organic Law,” he said. (Bureau of Public Information)
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