How to Register as a First-Time Voter in the Philippines

Have you registered as a voter in the upcoming elections? Voter’s registration is an essential part of exercising your right to vote for the country’s leaders. If you would like to participate in the next Philippine elections, make sure that you are registered in your city or municipality.

If you are a first-time voter and you’re not sure where to start, keep on reading because today we are going to talk all about voter’s registration in the Philippine elections.

What are the Qualifications of a Voter?

To qualify as a voter, you need to:

• Be at least 18 years old on or before the elections;
• Be at least 15 years old (but not older than 30 years old) for the Sangguniang Kabataan (Youth Council) elections;
• Have resided in the Philippines for at least one year; and
• Have resided in the city or municipality where you intend to vote for at least 6 months before the elections.

When is the Voter’s Registration?

Voter’s registration is held several months before an election. Usually, it is conducted between September 1st up to September 30th of the following year, just a few months before the elections, be it national or local.

How to Register as a Voter?

Below is a step-by-step guide to registering as a voter:

1. Prepare the requirements. If you’re a first-time voter, you’ll need to submit at least one of the following IDs (original and one photocopy) to the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) office in your city or municipality:

• Driver’s License
• NBI Clearance
• Passport
• PRC ID
• Postal ID
• PWD ID
• School ID (for students)
• Senior Citizen ID
• SSS ID/GSIS ID/UMID
• Certificate of Confirmation from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP)
• Other valid IDs with your photo and signature.

NOTE: If you are turning 18 years old on the upcoming election day, you need to submit your Birth Certificate (original and one photocopy) as well.

2. Download and fill up the necessary forms. Downloading the application forms through the COMELEC website will make the registration process faster and easier. These include:

• CEF-1. This is the Voter’s Application/Registration Form.
• Annex B. This is a Supplementary Data Form that you can download only if you fall under any of these categories: persons with disabilities (PWDs), indigenous peoples,  or applicants who cannot read or write.
• Coronavirus Self-Declaration Form. This is a health declaration form that is required as part of your registration.

NOTE: You can download all of these forms through this link: https://comelec.gov.ph/?r=VoterRegistration/ApplicationsForms. However, do not put your signature or thumb mark on them just yet. This should be done at the COMELEC office, in the presence of an election officer.

3. Go to the COMELEC office in your city or municipality. But before this, be sure to call the office and ask if you need to set an appointment first, or if they allow “walk-in” applicants.
4. Submit the requirements. At the COMELEC office, present your application form, valid ID, and other requirements for checking and processing.
5. Have your biometrics captured. At the biometrics capture area, the staff will take your photo, scan your fingerprints, and scan your signature using computer equipment.
6. Wait for approval. All you have to do now is to wait for the Election Registration Board (ERB) to approve your registration. Upon approval, your data will be included in your city or municipality’s book of voters. That’s it! You’re now a certified voter.

Some Final Thoughts

As long as you have the requirements, voter registration should go smoothly. Of course, the next thing to do is to choose the right candidates. After all, this is what the elections are truly about… practicing your right to select the community’s (and the country’s) future leaders.

For more information about voter’s registration, please visit the official website of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) at https://comelec.gov.ph/.