Comelec shuffling clustered precincts for barangay, SK polls

MANILA, Philippines - Getting the ball rolling for the Oct. 28 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) polls, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is reclustering the more than 78,000 clustered precincts used in the May 13 elections.

In Resolution 9718, the Comelec said that polling precincts must be reclustered because of the adjustments in the number of voters assigned to a precinct.

For the May 13 polls, a maximum of 1,000 voters from five to seven established precincts were clustered into one precinct.

But for the coming elections, a clustered precinct with an SK precinct shall only have a maximum or four established precincts or up to 500 registered voters.

A clustered precinct without an SK precinct, on the other hand, shall have three established precincts and a maximum of 400 voters.

The Comelec also ordered that only established precincts from the same barangay, which have the same voting center, shall be clustered.

“The SK precincts shall be distributed/attached to regular clustered/grouped of precincts of the same barangay and same voting center with the lowest number of registered voters,” the Comelec added.

The resolution also provides that each established precinct in a clustered precinct shall have its own Election Day Computerized Voters List (EDCVL) and Posted Computerized Voters List (PCVL) and that they should not be consolidated.

The poll body will hold voter’s registration for the barangay and SK polls from July 22 to 31.

Qualified to sign up for the SK polls are those aged 15 to 18 before election day. Expected to register for the barangay elections are those who turned 18 after the voter’s registration for the May 13, 2013 polls ended in Oct. 12, 2012.