Voter registration comes to a close

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday has finally closed the voter registration for the 2025 midterm elections and according to poll body chairperson George Garcia, they already expected a last-minute surge during the last day of registration.

“It was great that a lot of our countrymen tried their best to reach the deadline and we expected them,” Garcia said.

Recent data showed that a total of 6,250,050 new individuals have registered with the poll body for the 2025 midterm elections, surpassing the initial target of Comelec of three million new voters.

'Let’s prioritize first our lives and our safety.'

Meantime, Garcia said local precincts in some areas in Northern Luzon have closed their registration due to typhoon "Julian."

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 5 may be raised over Northern Luzon.

“There are areas in there that did not push through with their registration due to heavy rains and winds,” Garcia said. “It will be up to the local Comelec offices there if they will extend their registrations.”

Garcia said Batanes earlier said it already halted voter registration due to the inclement weather.

The Comelec chief said a special voting registration can be held there after the filing of the certificate of candidacy (CoC), which is slated from 1 October to 8 2024, adding that CoC filing in typhoon-hit areas can also be postponed if the weather does not get better by Tuesday.

“Let’s prioritize first our lives and our safety,” Garcia said.

Meanwhile, deadline beaters flocked to the satellite offices of the Comelec in Quezon City on Monday and the biggest number of registrants were observed at the satellite office of the local poll body in District 2 at the Batasan Hills Barangay Hall, using the entire 3rd floor of their building.

The local Comelec decided to have their satellite office in the city’s six districts for registrants’ easy access and was announced as early as 9 September for the voters’ convenience.

But despite repeated calls for registrations, the new registrants as well as those who changed their residency only trooped to this office at the deadline date itself.

The local Comelec office housed at the Barangay Sto. Cristo in District 1 was temporarily used as a registration satellite for the said district. The other satellite offices were placed at Robinson Galleria Mall for the 3rd District while those living in District 4 were instructed to register at the Robinson Magnolia