By Dominic B. dela Cruz
Staff reporter
Laoag City—In preparation for next year’s midterm elections, the city’s Commission on Election office is currently holding voters’ registrations.
Pursuant to Comelec Resolution No. 10392, city elections officer Atty. Julius Balbas said they began receiving filing of registration application on July 2, 2018. He added the election office is open from 8 am to 5 pm, Mondays- Saturdays, including holidays. They will accept registrations until September 29, 2018.
Mr. Balbas said application for registration includes the transfer/transfer with reactivation, reactivation, change/correction of entries/ and inclusion/reinstatement of records in the list of voters should be personally filed by the applicant.
The Comelec Resolution also states that the Comelec election officers (CEOs) may also conduct satellite/offsite registration of voters.
Relative to this, Mr. Balbas said they have conducted offsite registration for students turning 18 years old before the May 13 election at the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU), Northwestern University (NU), Ilocos Norte National High School (INNHS) and Ilocos Norte Regional Schools of Fisheries (INRSF). They were also scheduled to visit Divine Word College of Laoag (DWCL) and Northern Christian College (NCC).
Offsite registration at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) for inmates who are detailed more than a year also filed for registration for them have the chance to vote.
For barangays, Mr. Balbas said they have visited all except for 10 rural barangays. For those in the city’s urban barangays, the Comelec officer advised them to register at their City Hall office.
Mr. Balbas said the offsite registration helped in the increasing number of voters for the city of Laoag.
“Napintas daytoy offsite registration ta ngamin maiyasideg iti Comelec kaniyada ken matulungan isuda nga ag rehistro aglalo dagitay saan a makasango nga umay ditoy opisina,” Mr. Balbas said.
Meanwhile, the filing of candidacy for local positions is on October 1-5, 2018.