House OKs bill extending voter registration deadline

The House of Representatives approved on second reading a bill seeking to extend the voter registration deadline for the May 2022 national and local elections from September 30 to October 31.

House leaders, including Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, Majority Leader Ferdinand Romualdez, and Minority Leader Joseph Paduano, filed the bill in response to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms also approved the measure during a virtual hearing, citing the need to prevent 'massive voter disenfranchisement' due to extraordinary circumstances.