VOTERS' LIST-UP. The number of registered voters in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental has increased by about 3,000 as of July 2021. The Comelec in Dumaguete City is urging people to avail of the satellite registrations as the Sept. 30 deadline for registration will not be extended. (PNA file photo by Comelec-Dumaguete)
DUMAGUETE CITY – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) here on Friday reported an increase in the number of registered voters for next year's elections.
Based on the latest records as of July, this year, a total of 85,635 voters were registered, including those who were reactivated, an increase of over 3,000 compared to a total of 82,518 registered voters during the 2019 elections.
City Election Officer Ian Macaraya said many of the new registrants are the youth aged 18-30, although he said there is no available data yet for this group as registration is ongoing.
Macaraya asked those who are eligible to vote to avail of the satellite registrations in the barangays as this out-of-office activity will end this month with the list-up to be done only at their office by September.
The last two scheduled satellite registrations are on Aug. 14 at Barangay Talay and on Aug. 21 at Barangay Poblacion 1 and will accommodate residents from other villages.
The satellite registrations, which started in May in the barangays, aim to decongest the number of people coming to the Comelec office here as it has a small space and to also prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), he said.
The Comelec is also looking at the possibility of holding yet another satellite registration at the local Robinsons mall if management will allow it.
The nationwide voter registration will end on Sept. 30. (PNA)
