The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will deploy teams across Negros Island Region (NIR) starting Friday, April 4, for a door-to-door distribution of critical voter materials ahead of the May 12 national and local elections.

During a media briefing on Tuesday, April 1, Comelec-NIR Assistant Regional Director Jossil Macute said the Voter’s Information Sheets (VIS) will be hand-delivered to all registered voters, marking a significant operational shift from the unreliable postal system that previously failed to reach many citizens.

“The VIS contains the names of national and local candidates as well as personal information of a voter, such as his assigned voting center or precinct,” Macute said.

The Comelec aims to complete deliveries to all 1.2 million registered voters across NIR’s 19 legislative districts by April 30.

Distribution teams will prioritize obtaining recipient signatures to confirm delivery, though documents will be left at visible home locations when residents are unavailable.

Each VIS clearly specifies the voter’s exact precinct and voting center location, along with complete lists of national and local candidates to minimize ballot confusion.

Macute said voters are strongly encouraged to verify their details at Comelec offices, though officials note most precinct assignments remain unchanged from previous elections.

This manual distribution strategy directly addresses the 18 percent of Negros voters who reported missing VIS mailings during the 2023 elections, when precinct confusion contributed to 30 percent of voting delays. (PNA)