Sa panahon ng COVID-19 pandemic, mas praktikal pa rin umano na magkaroon ng electronic voter registration, ayon kay Senador Joel Villanueva.
Paliwanag ni Villanueva sa Senate Bill No. 1516, papapayagan ang Commission on Election (COMELEC) sa pagpaparehistro ng mga botante sa pamamagitan ng automated online system.
“The Comelec should be given an option to conduct the voter registration through electronic means. Not only does it make it more convenient for people to register, it will also help improve the data-keeping efforts of the commission,” sabi ni Villanueva sa isang statement.
“This further increases the possibility of higher voter participation in the elections because there is nothing healthier for a democratic state than to have citizens who are informed, actively participating in its democratic processes, and truly engaged in charting the course of its destiny,” dagdag ito.
Ang naturang panukala ay dinidinig pa sa Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms .
Kung hindi umano magagawa sa short-term ang implemetasyon ng automated online system, sinabi ni Villanueva na maaring namang mag-adopt ng online application verification sytem kung sa ang mga prospective voter ay puwedeng magsumite ng requirements online.
Matapos masuri, maari namang utusan ng Comelec ang mga prospective voter na magsumite ng dagdag pang mga requirement o di kaya’y mag-isyu la na ibang hakbang na kinakailangan para makumpleto ang kanyang aplikasyon.
Ayon pa Villanueva, ang naturang panukala ay isang alternatibong paraan para sa pagpaparehistro dahil sa banta pa rin ng pandemya.
“We must adjust to the times that we have. Creating an online platform will help lighten the burden of Comelec to process applications manually, and our people can be a registered voter right in the comfort and safety of our homes,” paliwanag ni Villanueva. (Dindo Matining)