COMELEC Registration Guide: How To Be A Registered Voter

Written by Marc Adrian

The election season is fast approaching and so is the deadline for voter registration! Voting is your birthright and if you are aspiring for a better nation, the first step in putting that into action is by exercising that right!

The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has already opened its doors to citizens who want to register as a voter for the upcoming May 2022 election. The registration started in September 2020 and will run until September 30, 2021. So you have less than three months to get yourself on the electoral roll.

To help you get started with your voter’s registration below is a step-by-step guide of the registration process!

Why should you register and vote?

Noble nationalistic intent aside, voting is the responsibility of every Filipino. Aside from that, it will also certify your residency in a certain barangay or municipality. And, if you’re aspiring to be a public official in the future, it is a must for you to be a registered voter. 

Who can register to vote?

Below are the eligibility requirements set by the COMELEC for voter registration:

• Filipino citizen who is not yet registered with COMELEC.
• At least 18 years old on or before the upcoming May 9, 2022 election.
• At least 15 but not older than 30 years old for Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Elections.
• Living in the Philippines for at least one year, and in the city or municipality where you intend to vote for at least six months before an election.

Requirements for voter registration for first-time voters

Bring at least one of the following valid IDs and a photocopy of it. 

• Driver’s license
• IBP ID
• NBI clearance
• Passport
• Postal ID
• PRC ID
• PWD ID
• School ID or library card (for students)
• Senior Citizen ID
• SSS/GSIS ID/UMID
• Certificate of Confirmation from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP)
• Any other valid ID with your photo and signature (except for cedula, police clearance, and barangay clearance/certificate)

Additional requirements for COMELEC registration: original and photocopy of birth certificate (for applicants turning 18 years old on the upcoming election day)

How to register as a voter (locally and overseas)?

The COMELEC has recently launched “irehistro”, an online portal where registrants can accomplish their voters’ registration form. While you can still do it by personally appearing in the COMELEC office, it’s worth knowing that you now have the option to do so to minimize physical contact in the new normal. 

• Go to https://irehistro.comelec.gov.ph/. For OFWs, click this link instead: https://irehistro.comelec.gov.ph/irehistro/ovf1.
• On the home page, you’ll be immediately given the option to choose the purpose of your application. Tick the box beside “Registration”.
• The entire personal information form will scroll down from the page. It is important for you to fill up your address and the exact locality you’re currently residing in so that the system can identify whether appointments in the nearest COMELEC branch in your area are available or not. 
• At the bottom of the form, you will be required to set an appointment with the COMELEC branch in your area for biometrics taking. You can also opt not to set an appointment and simply walk in directly to the COMELEC branch near you.
  
  For your information

  
  If the COMELEC branch in your area is closed due to the ECQ or MECQ restrictions, appointments will not be available online. However, you can still complete the form and just walk into the COMELEC branch once they open. After all, it is not required to book an appointment to make a personal appearance in their office. 

• At the bottom of the form, tick the box to verify you’re human.
• Review the details of your duly accomplished form then click confirm. 
• Download the form and print it.
• Proceed to the nearest COMELEC office. If you manage to set an appointment, report there as scheduled. If not, you can either walk-in during office hours or wait for your lockdown restrictions to ease for the COMELEC office to open. Present your duly accomplished form and you should be all set for the biometrics taking.
• Your name will now be in the voters’ database and should appear in your designated voting polls during the day of the election. 

What if I haven’t voted in the past elections?

Since voter registration is only done once in your life, your record should still be in COMELEC’s database. However, you need to reapply for reactivation if you missed voting for two consecutive elections.

How to do this?

On the irehistro website, simply choose the “Reactivation of Registration Record” option and fill up all the necessary fields. It’s the same process, you need to personally appear in the COMELEC office for the reactivation and updating of your biometrics in the database.