There are 67,843 residents who registered to vote in the December 5 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in Negros Occidental and Bacolod City from July 14 to 18, Provincial Election Supervisor Ian Lee Ananoria said Tuesday, July 19.
Bacolod City had the highest number of voter registrants among the local government units in Negros Occidental with 6,697 as of Monday.
The registration period will end on Saturday, July 23, he said.
Ananoria warned those who are registering in barangays where they are not residents that they will face election offense raps, which penalty is up to six years imprisonment.
Those who apply to transfer their voter registration must be honest, he said.
He attributed the increase in the number of registrants to the eagerness of the youth to vote, and the Comelec’s allowing the transfer of voters and use of barangay identification cards or certifications to register.
Barangay officials who issue identification cards with false information will face falsification charges, Ananoria also warned.
Filipinos who are at least 18 years of age on or before December 5 and residents of the Philippines for at least one year may register and participate as regular voters.
The rules also require a residency of at least six months in the barangay where they intend to vote.
Ananoria said those aged 15 to 30 years old can vote in the SK elections, while those 18 years old and above can vote in the barangay elections.
Registrants for the SK elections must be 15 years old by December 5.
Ananoria noted that there has been an increase in the number of persons lining up to register to vote as the deadline nears.
There are now 100 to 200 registrants a day lining up at Comelec offices and the number is expected to increase as the deadline on Saturday nears, Ananoria said.
He appealed to those lining up to register to vote to be patient and the Comelec will try to accommodate everyone.
The Comelec is preparing for the December 5 elections unless a law is passed postponing it, he said.
The following is the number of voter registrants per local government unit:
