By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The holiday festivities are being blamed as the reason behind the low turnout of new voter registrants in Negros Occidental.

Atty. Ian Ananoria, elections supervisor of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in the province, said as of yesterday morning, they have recorded 7,770 new registrants only.

Data from Comelec-Negros Occidental shows that during the first two weeks of December, Bacolod City had the highest number of registrants with 2,776, while San Carlos City logged 522, and it was followed by Murcia (412), Cauayan (411), Himamaylan City (324), Escalante City and Silay City (280 each), and Bago City (234).

The province logged 4,318 new voters during the first week of registration which began last December 12, but it dropped to 3,452 in the second week.

The same data was also recorded in Bacolod with 1,743 and 1,033 during the first and second week, respectively.

Anonoria said he expects that the registration will peak in January 2023.

“Most of the registrants are young people,” Anonoria said.

“We are accepting all types of applications like new voter, transfer, reactivation, reinstatement, change/correction of entries, and overseas to local registration,” he said.

Online registration is available for those who want their registration to be reactivated for failure to vote in two consecutive polls.

Applicants are advised to bring valid proofs of identification such as National ID (PhilSys), passport, driver’s license, employment ID, student ID or library card signed by the management of the school, college or university, Senior Citizens ID, persons with disability ID, Indigenous Peoples Certificate from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, and notarized barangay certification with applicant’s photo and signature.

The voter registration will run up until January 31, 2023, except on December 31, 2022 and January 1, 2023./DGB, WDJ