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Comelec allows voters' registration on Saturdays, holidays


MANILA, Philippines - Busy workers and students will no longer need to take a leave to register as voters for the 2010 elections after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said voter registration will now be open on Saturdays and holidays. On its blog site, the Comelec on Friday said it has amended parts of its Resolution No. 8514, promulgated November 12, 2008 to allow registration on Saturdays and holidays. "There are compelling reasons for the amendments being sought in order for the Commission to accomplish the pre-election activities in pursuit of its mandate to conduct clean, honest, orderly, peaceful, and credible May 10, 2010 National and Local Elections," the poll body said in its Resolution 8585, promulgated February 12, 2009. "There is a public clamor to open registration during Saturday to accommodate the youth-students and the busy workers, who have no time to register during the weekdays," it added. However, the Comelec also made clear that despite accommodating registrants during holidays, there will be no registration on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday during the Holy Week. Resolution 8514 provided rules and regulations governing the resumption of the system of continuing registration of voters nationwide, excluding the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Among the amendments to the resolution were Sections 4, which outlined the date, time and places of filing of applications, hearing and approval; and Section 6 which provided that persons who have not yet reached the required voting age or period of residence but will posses the same on or before the day of the elections may only register starting May 12, 2009. On the other hand, the Comelec recognized the need to encourage wider voter participation and to recognize the youth's important role in nation building. "As they (the youth) will comprise the majority of the first time registrants, the Commission deemed it best to lift the afore-cited time limitation in Secs. 6 and to provide additional registration days and holidays falling on weekdays, except Holy Thursday and Good Friday on April 9 and 10, 2009," it said. - GMANews.TV
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