MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has promulgated Resolution Number 9981, setting the calendar of activities for the next national and local elections on May 9, 2016.

Take note of these dates as well as prohibited acts, so you may be properly guided. The list is grouped by activity type.

Voter registration, biometrics validation

• October 12, 2015
  – Last day for overseas voters to apply for transfer of registration records from the overseas registry to the local registry
  – Last day to file petition for exclusion of an overseas voter from the National Registry of Overseas Voters

• October 12 to 16, 2015
  – Voter registration will be temporarily suspended to give way for the filing of certificates of candidacies

• October 31, 2015
  – Last day of registration and biometrics validation for local and overseas voters

• March 7, 2016
  – Last day to avail and apply for local absentee voting (for police, military, government officials performing election duties, and media personnel)

Candidacies

• September 12 to 30, 2015
  – Holding of political conventions by political parties to select and nominate official candidates for all elective positions.

• October 12 to 16, 2015
  – Filing of certificates of candidacy of national and local bets for all positions, from President to municipal councilor

• December 5, 2015
  – Last day to conduct the raffle of accredited party-list organizations to determine their order of listing on the official ballot

Election, campaign periods

• January 10 to June 8, 2016 – Election Period

The following are prohibited acts during the election period:

• February 9 to May 7, 2016 – Campaign Period for national candidates (President, Vice President, Senator, and party-list groups)

The following are prohibited acts during this period, up to May 9, 2016:

• March 25* to May 7, 2016 – Campaign Period for local candidates
  * However, campaigning is banned on March 25, the scheduled first day of local bets’ campaign period, due to the observance of Good Friday

The following are prohibited acts during this period, up to May 8, 2016:

Election Day, voting periods, post-election

• April 9 (8 am, host country’s time) to May 9, 2016 (7 pm, PH time)
  – Casting of votes by overseas voters
  – Campaigning abroad is prohibited during this period

• April 27 to 29, 2016
  – Casting of votes by local absentee voters

• May 9, 2016 – Election Day
  – BOCs at every level will convene starting 5 pm, and will thereafter consolidate and canvass votes after polls close
  – The Committee of Local Absentee Voting has until 7 pm to receive envelopes containing ballots of local absentee voters; afterwhich, votes by these voters will be counted and canvassed

The following are prohibited acts on the eve of the election and on Election Day itself:

• May 9 (7 pm onwards) to May 12, 2016
  – Counting of precinct results and proclamation of winning city/municipal officials

• May 13 to 15, 2016
  – Canvassing of results and proclamation of winners for senatorial, congressional, party-list, regional, and provincial elections

• June 8, 2016
  – Deadline of submission of Statements of Contributions and Expenses (SOCE) by national and local candidates

Other prohibited acts

Other Comelec activities

Administrative tasks:

August 31, 2015
– Last day to allocate elective seats for Member, House of Representatives, and other local elective positions

January 4 to 15, 2016
– Formation of the Board of Canvassers (BOC) and the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI)

April 9, 2016
– Last day for Comelec to furnish every registered voter with a voter’s information sheet

April 22, 2016
– Last day for Comelec to post notice of date, time, and place for testing and sealing of vote-counting machines

May 2 to 6, 2016
– Testing and sealing of vote-counting machines

May 9 to 13, 2016
– Period for election officers to notify candidates to comply with the obligation to file SOCEs

For general voters’ registration:

November 16, 2015
– Last quarterly meeting for local Election Registration Boards (ERB) to approve or disapprove applications for registration, validation, etc.

January 24, 2016
– Last day to file petition for inclusion of voters in the permanent list of voters

January 29, 2016
– Last day to file petition for exclusion of voters in the permanent list of voters

February 4, 2016
– Last day for ERB Meeting to certify the list of voters

February 9, 2016
– Posting of the certified list of voters

March 11 to 24, 2016
– Issuance or sending of notices of inspection and verification of completeness of the precinct book of voters

March 25 to April 9, 2016
– Inspection, verification, and sealing of the precinct book of voters

For overseas voting:

November 16, 2015
– Last day for all Resident ERBs overseas to act on all applications for registration/certification as overseas voters

December 1, 2015
– Last day for the Comelec to announce the specific mode of overseas voting per country/post

January 10, 2016
– Last day to prepare and update Certified List of Overseas Voters, and furnish copies to the Philippine embassies, consulates, and foreign service posts abroad

February 1 to 14, 2016
– Forming of special BOCs, special BEIs, and Special Ballot Reception and Custody Groups for overseas voting

March 25, 2016
– Last day to post notice of date, time, and place for testing and sealing of vote-counting machines for overseas voting

April 4 to 8, 2016
– Testing and sealing of vote-counting machines in selected posts/countries for overseas voting

For local absentee voting:

March 10, 2016
– Last day for the Committee on Local Absentee Voting (CLAV) to receive application forms

April 15, 2016
– Last day to verify eligibility of applicants for local absentee voting
– Last day to prepare list of qualified local absentee voters

April 21, 2016
– Last day for the CLAV to furnish a list of qualified local absentee voters to concerned officials, as well as the constitution of special BEIs for local absentee voting

April 30, 2016
– Constitution of the special BOC for local absentee voting

– Rappler.com

PCOS receipt photo by Tricia Villaluz/Rappler. Calendar image from Shutterstock.