Voter registration for 18-21 still prohibited as age restrictions remain under GCQ - Zamora

MANILA - Young voters below 21 will have to wait until age restrictions are lifted under a more relaxed quarantine scheme before they can register to vote, San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora said Tuesday.

"The voter registration will disallow those who are 18 to 21 to register at this point. So I guess once we reach a point that we will shift to MGCQ (modified GCQ), then that will be the time they will go out and register," he told ANC's Headstart.

"But everyone who’s within the age that can go out can do so already," he said.

In the guidelines released by government in June, persons below 21 years old and above 60 are still "required to remain in their residences at all times" even in areas under MGCQ.

But Zamora cited how the COVID-19 Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) lifted the age restrictions when it allowed families to visit cemeteries after a temporary closure from October 29 to November 4.

• Philippines closes cemeteries from Oct. 29- Nov. 4

"As Metro mayors, we’re only recommendatory. At the end of the day it’s the IATF that makes the decision. However, what is nice with the IATF is that they listen to the sentiments of the Metro Manila mayors," he said.

Voter registration resumed in September nationwide except in areas under strict quarantine or under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) and modified ECQ.

• Voter registration to resume in areas under relaxed quarantine starting September 1

Less than 2,000 Metro Manila residents register on a daily basis, according to Commission on Elections Spokesperson James Jimenez.

A registration form may be downloaded from the Comelec website and filled up before heading to the Comelec office for faster filing. These may be submitted from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Tuesdays to Saturdays.

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