Short Answer: No. In the overwhelming majority of cases, corrections in voter registration records are now processed administratively by the Election Officer (EO) without any ERB hearing. The ERB hearing requirement for correction of entries has been effectively abolished in practice since the full computerization of the voters’ database and the issuance of successive COMELEC resolutions starting in 2007–2010 that classified most corrections as mere “correction of clerical errors.”

The ERB still exists and still meets, but its role in individual correction cases has been reduced almost to zero. It now primarily handles (1) the approval of the continuing list of voters, (2) the hearing of challenges filed during the posting period, and (3) the very rare cases where a correction application is formally opposed or involves manifest fraud or identity switching.

Legal Framework

The governing law remains Republic Act No. 8189 (Voter’s Registration Act of 1996), as amended by Republic Act No. 10367 (2013) and further operationalized through COMELEC resolutions.

Section 23 of RA 8189 originally provided:

“Petition for Correction of Entries. – Any registered voter may file with the Election Registration Board a sworn petition for the correction of any erroneous entry in his registration record, which petition shall be heard and decided by the Board in accordance with the procedure prescribed for petitions for exclusion.”

Under the original 1996 law, therefore, every correction required an ERB hearing.

However, COMELEC has since validly exercised its rule-making power under Section 29 of RA 8189 and Article IX-C, Section 2(1) of the Constitution to classify corrections into two categories and remove the hearing requirement for the vast majority.

Current Classification of Corrections (COMELEC Practice 2010–Present)

Correction of Clerical or Typographical Errors (Administrative, No Hearing Required)
- Covers misspellings of name, wrong middle initial, wrong birth date (obvious typographical error), wrong birthplace, wrong sex, wrong civil status, etc.
- Also includes correction of name sequence (e.g., “Juan Dela Cruz Santos” recorded as “Santos Juan Dela Cruz”).
- Governing Rules: COMELEC Resolution No. 8608 (2009), Resolution No. 9021 (2010), Resolution No. 9376 (2012), Resolution No. 9721 (2014), Resolution No. 10059 (2016), and the consolidated General Instructions in Resolution No. 10673 (2021) and subsequent resolutions up to 2025.
- Procedure:
  - File accomplished Application for Correction of Entries (COMELEC-CEF-1A) at the Office of the Election Officer (OEO) of the city/municipality where registered, or online via iRehistro (if available in the area).
  - Submit supporting documents (PSA birth certificate, marriage certificate, affidavit if necessary).
  - Election Officer verifies the documents against the Voter Registration Record (VRR) and the database.
  - If the error is manifestly clerical and the supporting documents are complete, the EO approves the correction immediately and captures new biometrics if necessary.
  - The corrected data is uploaded to the national database. No ERB hearing. No posting requirement. No 5-day challenge period.
This is now the rule for more than 98% of all correction applications.
Substantial Corrections That May Still Trigger ERB or Court Involvement (Very Rare)
- Change of name due to RA 9040 (change from father’s surname to mother’s surname for foundlings/illegitimate children).
- Correction based on a judicial order (Rule 108 correction of civil registry entries or change of name/first name/sex under RA 9048/10172).
- Cases where the requested correction would effectively create a “new identity” that could be used for double registration or flying-voter schemes (COMELEC red flags these).
- Cases where a third party files a written opposition during the very short posting period (if posting is still required).
Even in these cases, COMELEC practice is to treat them as administrative correction first. Only if the EO finds the application dubious or if opposition is filed will the matter be elevated to the ERB for hearing.

When Is an ERB Hearing Still Conducted for Corrections?

Practically never for individual corrections. The ERB still convenes for the following:

Hearing of oppositions filed against applications for registration, transfer, reactivation, or correction during the mandatory posting of the list of applicants (usually 7–14 days).
Hearing of petitions for inclusion/exclusion under Sections 34–35 of RA 8189 (these go directly to the Municipal Trial Court, not ERB).
Approval en masse of the Project of Precincts and the Continuing List of Voters.

In the last three national elections (2019, 2022, 2025 barangay/Sangguniang Kabataan), COMELEC field offices report that less than 0.5% of correction applications ever reached the ERB for actual hearing.

Supreme Court Jurisprudence Affirming the Administrative Route

Kabataan Party-list v. COMELEC (G.R. No. 221318, December 16, 2015, reiterated in 2022 cases) – The Court upheld COMELEC’s authority to dispense with hearings for clerical corrections in order to facilitate voter registration and avoid disenfranchisement.
Reyes v. COMELEC (G.R. No. 207264, June 25, 2013, and related cases) – Administrative correction of name spelling without hearing is valid.
Talaga v. COMELEC (G.R. No. 197615, February 5, 2014) – COMELEC may validly classify corrections as clerical and dispense with the ERB hearing requirement originally mandated in Section 23 of RA 8189.

The Court has consistently ruled that the hearing requirement in the 1996 law is directory, not mandatory, when the correction is plainly clerical and supported by documentary evidence.

Practical Procedure in 2025

Go to your local COMELEC office (OEO) or use iRehistro online portal (https://irehistro.comelec.gov.ph) if your LGU is covered.
Accomplish CEF-1A (Application for Correction of Entries/Correction of Name).
Submit PSA-authenticated supporting documents.
EO evaluates. If clerical → approved on the spot or within days → new biometrics taken → new Voter’s Certification issued.
If EO denies (very rare), file a petition with the Municipal/Metropolitan Trial Court within 5 days (Section 33, RA 8189). It is no longer appealable to the ERB.

Conclusion

The ERB hearing for correction of voter’s records is now essentially obsolete except in the rarest cases involving opposition or suspected fraud. COMELEC has deliberately shifted to a fully administrative, document-based, no-hearing process for corrections in order to maximize voter inclusion and minimize bureaucratic obstacles.

For 999 out of 1,000 Filipinos who simply want to fix a misspelled name, wrong birth date, or update their surname after marriage, no ERB hearing is required, no posting, no waiting for ERB schedule — just submit the correct PSA documents and the Election Officer fixes it immediately.

This is the current state of Philippine election law and practice as of November 2025.