Voter registration challenges in the new normal

JUDGING from posts on the Facebook page of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), voter-registrants for the May 9, 2022 national and local elections welcomed the resumption of voter registration last Sept. 1, 2020 after registration was suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, soon after the voter registration started, the Metro Manila Council, citing the risks of coronavirus transmission, sought its deferment to January 2021. If deferred anew, only nine months will be left as the registration period ends in September 2021, which may not be sufficient to accommodate the projected number of registrants of about 5 to 7 million.

The suspension of voter registration appears to be a knee-jerk reaction from mayors in the National Capital Region. What if the same or worse pandemic conditions continue to prevail in the next year or two? Will voter registration be set aside altogether? Indefinite suspension of voter registration may result in denying the voter-registrants their right to vote come May 9, 2022, the day when Filipino voters will choose a new set of leaders in the executive and legislative branches of government.