DAGUPAN CITY, July 20 (PIA) – Some 109,000 voters in Pangasinan who have no biometrics are in danger of being disenfranchised during the 2016 elections if they fail to register within the prescribed period, an election official here said.
Lawyer Marino Salas, provincial election supervisor, advised registered voters who have yet to have their biometrics data taken to go to the nearest Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in their area to avoid deactivation.
“Voters who registered before 2004 need to validate,” he said during the KBP Forum held at the PIA-Pangasinan office on Thursday as he emphasized their No Bio, No Boto campaign.
Salas said his office will intensify their information drive to reach out to those who have no biometrics yet.
“We will set up satellite registration centers in the malls to encourage those who still do not have their biometrics to validate their registration,” he said.
He added that the Comelec offices in the province are also open even on weekends to accommodate voters who wish to update their records.
Under the Mandatory Biometrics Registration Act of 2013, voters who fail to submit for validation prior to the May 2016 elections shall be deactivated from the voters’ list and will not be allowed to vote.
Biometrics data refer to the automated identification of an individual, which include his or her photograph, fingerprint and signature.
Voters’ registration will continue until October 31.