More than a month before the May 2025 midterm polls, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is taking on another herculean task: distributing over 60 million voter information sheets (VIS) to all registered voters nationwide.

Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia, who led the distribution on Wednesday, April 2, in Pasay City, stressed the importance of VIS since not everyone has internet access to use the poll body's precinct finder which will be activated two weeks before the elections.

"Tatandaan po ng lahat, napaka-importante 'to [VIS] sapagkat hindi lahat ay may access sa internet...So, paano sila makakakuha ng impormasyon mula sa ating precinct finder? (Please remember, this [VIS] is very important because not everyone has access to the internet... So, how will they get information from our precinct finder?)" Garcia said in an interview.

"Samantalang kung may ganito, parang sinasabi natin, lahat tayo sa bansang ito ay pantay-pantay kasi iisang klaseng dokumento lang ang matatanggap natin. Mararating mararating sila nitong VIS. (While with something like this, it's as if we're saying that we are all equal in this country because we will all receive the same type of document. This VIS will reach everyone). This is how we equalize things in the country," he added.

Through the precinct finder, using the Internet, they can easily access their voter information, such as their designated precinct.

The poll chief said that the challenge so far is to ensure that the VIS gets to the intended recipient since there are instances wherein the voter is no longer in the same address.

On the other hand, he stated that this is also a chance for them to find out if voters put accurate addresses when registering. This will help them, according to Garcia, the next time they open registrations. They would know who should be charged or excluded since they are no longer residing in a certain area.

"Ang purpose ng Comelec walang maiiwan sa mismong halalan...Dapat lahat ng kababayan makakapunta sa presinto, alam nila kung saan boboto (The purpose of the Comelec is to ensure that no one is left behind during the elections. Everyone should be able to go to the polling station and know where to vote)," he said.

Last week, Comelec finished printing 68,431,865 voter information sheets for the May 12 National and Local Elections which is equivalent to the total number of registered voters in the country.

According to Garcia, the local government unit (LGU) or the barangays cannot distribute the VIS as Comelec personnel will be tasked to do so. He said that the poll body would handle the distribution, even in the most remote areas.

He also reminded voters that it's okay to provide their signatures once they receive their VIS and will not be used for other endeavors such as People's Initiative (PI).

"Huwag kayong matatakot, 'pag nakatanggap kayo nito okay lang pumirma, hindi po makakapanigil sa amin yung nagpreceive sa inyo kung wala kayong pirma (Don't be afraid; if you receive this, it's fine to sign it. The person who gave this to you won't get paid without your signature)," Garcia said in an earlier interview.

"Okay lang pumirma, hindi po gagamitin yun sa kung saan man, yung mga sinasabi kasi ng iba, baka daw gamitin sa People's Initiative, o yung mga iba pang mga aktibidad na nandyan, hindi po yun magagamit. Yun po ay para sa amin, para sa COA, para pag nagbayad kami sigurado yung binayad namin ay nakabase doon sa bawat tao na pinatanggapan nito (It's okay to sign; it won't be used for anything else. Some people say it might be used for the People's Initiative or other activities, but that's not the case. It's just for us, for the COA, to ensure that when we make a payment, it's based on each individual who received it)," he added.

Under Republic Act No. 7904, it is mentioned that at least 30 days before an election, the Comelec must provide all registered voters with a voter information sheet.

The VIS shall include the voter’s name, address, the precinct and the place where he is registered to vote, simplified instructions as to the casting of votes, and the full list of candidates, both national and local.