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Colleges, universities call for extension of voter registration

September 11, 2021

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Over a hundred colleges, universities, and organizations in the Philippines are petitioning the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to rethink its previous decision to maintain the voter registration deadline on September 30 by extending it until October 31, 2021.

The 105-member group said that the extension is when public quarantine restrictions would be eased and individuals will be able to move about in somewhat greater safety.

“The COVID-19 pandemic and the corresponding community quarantines of the past 18 months – particularly their concomitant adverse effects on health and livelihood – have posed innumerable, exigent, basic-needs challenges to our people as never before,” they said in an issued joint statement.

“Pressed by anxiety over immediate existential concerns, many Filipinos have not been afforded the time and mental leeway to register to vote. Even those not immediately threatened existentially are dissuaded from responding to COMELEC’s registration drives owing to the risks of catching the disease, the uncertainty of getting effective treatment, and the need to adjust to changing public quarantine guidelines in what is a rapidly developing situation,” they added.

According to the organization, although improvement in vaccination rates is promising, it is relatively recent and fails to address the dangers for the majority of people. It fails, in particular, to soothe the health worries of millions of younger would-be voters who are not among the priority sectors for immunization.

In light of this reality, they urge COMELEC to exercise the utmost flexibility and human understanding in its decisions in order to provide all eligible Filipino citizens with the opportunity to exercise their most fundamental and sacred right in a democracy – the right to choose their government representatives.

“We commend the COMELEC for using satellite sites such as school campuses, shopping malls, and other public and private institutions to facilitate voter registration. But with so many eligible Filipinos still unregistered, it is reasonable to increase not only the number of satellite sites but also the number of voter registration days,” they said.

“We note that the cut-off date for voter registration in 2010, 2013, and 2016 was October 31. If an exigency justifies an extension, then certainly this once-in-a-lifetime crisis is one that calls for it,” they added.

They stated that they are appealing to the Commission to reconsider its decision on behalf of Filipino youth who are just coming of age and will be first-time voters in the 2022 elections, explaining that they should be given the opportunity to exercise their civic duty and demonstrate their love for country.

Citizens should not be asked to choose between risking their health and fulfilling their constitutional duty.