Paid one-day leave pushed for 1st-time voters

First-time voters may benefit from a one-day paid leave that will allow them to register for the 2010 elections, if a resolution in the House of Representatives is passed into law. House Resolution 1336 seeks to encourage young voters to register, given the shortened registration period that ends Oct. 30 instead of Dec. 15. "Majority of these new registrants are young first-time voters who are situated in campuses, schools, communities and various workplaces," author Rep. Raymond Palatino (Kabataan) said in an article on the House of Representatives website. The resolution directs the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to instruct public and private companies and offices to implement a one-day off with pay to encourage employees to register on or before the Comelec's deadline. Palatino said the proposed one-day off with pay will not affect the economy as there would not be that many employees in a company or office who are first-time voters or new registrants. He added it is the responsibility of DOLE to ensure that employees nationwide are not disenfranchised in the coming 2010 elections because of this limitation. There are an estimated five million first-time voters and new registrants this year, Palatino said. He noted the Comelec targets to reach at least three million newly registered voters by its imposed deadline. But only about 841,200 have registered so far. These new registrants who work office hours usually have no time to register as by the time their work time ends, city halls and government offices have already closed, he said. - GMANews.TV