The Commission on Elections in Negros Oriental announced Monday an expected increase in the number of registered voters for the coming May 2016 polls.
Provincial Election Supervisor Atty. Eddie Aba, however, could not yet give an exact number as to the expected hike in registered voters in the Province until after the Oct. 31st deadline.
Aba pointed out there is still about two weeks left for voters who have not yet registered or who have yet to validate their information or who have yet to have their biometrics taken.
This week, however, the poll body has suspended voters’ registration to give way to the filing of Certificates of Candidacy by political aspirants seeking election in 2016, Aba explained.
Still, the Comelec official announced his office is targeting to reach about 800,000 registered voters in all of Negros Oriental.
Records available at the Comelec show that as of Sept. 30, 2015, the Province of Negros Oriental has a total of 781, 932 registered voters.
Of the number, 709,967 have their biometrics information recorded, while 71,575 still do not have biometrics, and 390 others have incomplete biometrics data.
The numbers could still change after Oct. 31st, if voters with incomplete or without biometrics fail to register, and will not be duly recognized by the poll body.
Still, the number of registered voters as of last count this year is slightly higher than that of the May 2013 polls, with Comelec having recorded a total of 763,937 registered voters.
Atty. Aba appealed to voters to undergo the process of validation; and for those without biometrics to have them taken, otherwise the Comelec will have to strike out their names from the official list of registered voters. (PNA) JFP
