MANILA, Philippines – Did you move houses between now and the last elections? Is your new address in a different barangay, municipality, city, or province? 

If you say yes to any of the two questions above, you need to apply for a transfer of voter registration with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in your new area of residence. This is if you want to be able to cast your vote where you live now. 

The process of transferring your voter registration is almost similar to applying as a first-time voter. For purposes of the 2025 Philippine elections, you can register until September 30, 2024. (TRACKER: Voter registration for the 2022 elections)

Here’s how:

1. Fill out the application form

Fill out an application form called the CEF-1. It can be downloaded from the Comelec website or obtained from the Office of the Election Officer (OEO) in your city or municipality.

If you are going to print the form, make sure that it is printed on 8” x 13” paper and printed back to back. 

Shade the oval beside the “APPLICATION FOR TRANSFER OF REGISTRATION RECORD,” and answer whether you are transferring your registration within the same, or from another, city or municipality. 

Provide your new address and the length of time you have stayed there.

A person needs to be a resident of the place where he or she plans to vote for at least six months prior to the May 2025 elections.

If you want to transfer your registration to another city or municipality, you need to complete a personal information form, which can be found on the second page of the CEF-1 form. 

If you are a person with disability or a senior citizen, you also need to fill out Annex B or the “supplementary data form.”

The application form for voter registration can also be accomplished through the iRehistro website. Using the online platform, however, does not mean you are registered automatically. 

Do not sign or affix your thumbmark on the application form at home. You need to sign it in front of the election officer in your local Comelec office.

2. Submit the application form and other required documents to your local Comelec office

Go to your local Comelec office or the OEO to submit your completed application for registration and necessary documents. (You can also get and fill out the forms at the local Comelec office.)

To find the Comelec office nearest you, check the Comelec website for details of the poll body’s Metro Manila and city/municipality offices.

Applications for registration may be filed at the OEO in your city or municipality from Monday to Friday, and at satellite registration offices every Saturday, from 8 am to 5 pm. Voter registration will run until September 30, 2024.

The poll body reminds the public to contact local Comelec offices ahead of time since OEOs are closed during disinfection days prescribed by local governments. Satellite registration schedules may vary per locality.

Bring a valid identification document to prove your identity: 

• Employee’s ID with employer’s signature 
• Postal ID 
• PWD ID 
• Student’s ID or a library card, signed by school authority 
• Senior citizen’s ID 
• Driver’s license
• NBI clearance
• Passport
• SSS/GSIS ID 
• Integrated Bar of the Philippines ID 
• License issued by the Professional Regulation Commission
• For indigenous peoples or members of indigenous cultural communities, a certificate of confirmation from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples 
• Any other valid ID 

Police clearance and cedulas are not accepted.

If you do not have any of the mentioned documents, the Comelec says on its website that an applicant “may be identified under oath by any registered voter of the precinct where he/she intends to be registered, or by any of his/her relatives within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity.” 

A registered voter may identify only up to three applicants.

Your biometrics will then be collected using the Comelec’s voter registration machine. These include your photo, fingerprints, and signature. 

You will be given an acknowledgment receipt that shows you have successfully filed your application for transfer of voter registration. Do not lose this small document. 

3. Wait for your application to be approved

Submitting your application to the Comelec does not mean you are already registered for the 2025 national and local elections. 

The Election Registration Board needs to approve your application first. The ERB approves all qualified applicants during its quarterly meetings which happen on the third Monday of April, July, October, and January of every calendar year.

Once your application is approved, the local election officer will include your registration in the book of voters in your locality. This means you have successfully transferred your registration. 

The Comelec’s voter care center says those who want to verify their voter registration status may do so in two ways:

• Call the Comelec’s Information Technology Department at 8527-9365 or 8526-7769
• Directly inquire with the OEO in your district, city, or municipality

“Maaari kang magtanong sa iyong lokal na Comelec tungkol sa status ng iyong aplikasyon 2-3 linggo pagkatapos ng ERB hearing,” the poll body told Rappler in a text message.

(You can ask your local Comelec office about the status of your application two to three weeks after an ERB hearing.)

If you have other questions regarding voter registration, visit the Comelec’s official website, or reach out to the poll body on Facebook. You may also send an email to the Comelec’s Election and Barangay Affairs Department at ebad@comelec.gov.ph or call (02) 8525-9298 or 09275595926. – Rappler.com