COMELEC voter's registration on Saturdays and holidays; moves deadline to October 31

The Commission on Elections has already approved Resolution No. 8585, promulgated February 12, 2009, which will extend voter's registration for the upcoming 2010 Philippine elections on Saturdays and holidays, except Holy Thursday and Good Friday on April 9 and 10, 2009 in order to accommodate the students and busy workers.

The COMELEC has recognized the need to encourage wider voter participation and to recognize the youth’s important role in nation building by doing so.

Another development is the poll body's decision to move the voter's registration deadline from December 15, 2009 to October 31, 2009. This doesn't mean that the COMELEC wants to shorten the voter's registration process. The count already includes the Saturdays and holidays which made them arrive to the decision of moving the deadline.

If you're a student or a busy worker who wants to register to vote for the 2010 Philippine elections during a holiday, here are some dates that you need to remember before the deadline:

• February 23 - EDSA Revolution Day
• April 6 - Araw ng Kagitingan
• May 1 - Labor Day
• June 12 - Independence Day
• August 21 - Ninoy Aquino Day
• August 31 - National Heroes’ Day
• September 20 or 21 - Eid’l Fitr / Feast of Ramadan

And BTW (by the way), tomorrow is a holiday as President Arroyo declared February 23 as the date to celebrate the 23rd anniversary of the EDSA Revolution instead of February 25. Be sure you register to vote on that date! And also, to all the unregistered voters in Cebu City, February 24 is a local holiday as it is the city's 72^ndCharter Day. In the province of Zamboanga Sibugay, February 24 is also a special (non-working) day as it is their province's 4^th Charter Day.

So, get out and register to vote!