The Commission on Elections (Comelec) anticipates a surge in voter registration today, September 30, marking the deadline for applications to vote in the 2025 elections. Chairman George Erwin Garcia emphasized that there will be no extensions to the registration period to avoid disrupting preparations for the May 12 polls.
Continuing registration began on February 12, and today also marks the final day for overseas voter registration. “No extensions will be granted. We have provided ample time, and extending it would jeopardize our schedule,” Garcia stated. He noted the need to finalize the voters’ list, precinct projects, and the relocation of voters to different precincts.
Historically, a rush occurs on the last day of registration due to what Garcia referred to as the “last-day syndrome” among Filipinos. As of September 19, Comelec reported 6,442,112 registrations, with over 3 million being new voters, including approximately 100,000 reactivated voters. While the goal of enlisting 3 million new voters has been met, a significant number of the 5.3 million deactivated voters still need to reactivate their status. Voters may be deactivated for not participating in two consecutive elections or due to court decisions.
Currently, there are 66 million registered voters, although Comelec projects that the number could rise to 70-71 million by 2025. Importantly, filling out a registration form does not guarantee automatic registration; decisions are made by the local Election Registration Board (ERB), which conducts hearings to finalize the voter list.
Garcia also mentioned a plan to annul the existing voter list after the 2025 elections and implement a new registration process using advanced technology, including iris scanning, facial recognition, and fingerprinting of all ten fingers, pending congressional approval. This process is expected to take about three months to complete.
