Comelec prods youth to register so they could vote in BSKE
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday, July 10, 2025, encouraged the youth who failed to vote in the last midterm elections to register as voters ahead of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE). — Photo by Marianne Bermudez
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday encouraged the youth who failed to vote in the last midterm elections to register as voters ahead of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).
According to Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia, the poll body expects around one million Filipinos to participate in the voter registration set from August 1 to 10.
“Our youth who are quite jealous of those who were able to vote in the recent elections, this is the chance to register to vote and be part of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections,” he told reporters in an interview.
Garcia also said that the poll body expects those who were unable to cast votes in the May 2025 midterm elections to activate their registration.
READ: Comelec sets voters’ registration period from August 1-10
The Comelec announced on Wednesday that it will resume the voters’ registration in preparation for the BSKE on December 1. The registration, originally scheduled from July 1 to 11, was then postponed from October 2025 to July 2026 due to the poll body’s anticipation that the elections would be reset to November 2026.
Garcia reiterated that the postponement was due to their assumption that the elections would not push through on December 1, as Congress had ratified a bill that sets four-year terms for elected barangay officials, replacing the current three-year terms.
As there is still no law postponing the BSKE, Garcia said the poll body needs to conduct voters’ registration so Filipinos aged 15-17 can now participate in the upcoming elections.
“Our problem is that, if we don’t have a registration, even just for 10 days across the country, we will not have youth voters aged 15-17 because they were not registered for the May 12, 2025, elections,” Garcia noted.
The poll chief also reiterated that those who register for the upcoming voter registration in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) will not be eligible to vote in the first BARMM Parliamentary Elections on October 13, 2025.
Further, the Comelec, in an advisory, said that other applications will be accepted:
- Change or correction of Entries in the Registration Records
- Reactivation of Registration Records
- Inclusion of Registration Records and Reinstatement of Name in the List of Voters
- Updating of Records of persons with disabilities, senior citizens, and members of indigenous peoples and indigenous cultural communities
Meanwhile, Garcia explained that the transfer of registration is not possible as the poll body will only have 10 days to process applications across the country.
“Because of the short period, our constituents might hope on this and their applications might not be forwarded right away to the areas where they will vote, and they might not make it to the ERB (Election Registration Board) hearing. If [the applications] do not reach the ERB hearing, even if they applied, their registrations won’t be approved,” Garcia added.
READ: Comelec eyes evening voter registration for BSKE
Garcia also said that the poll body will launch a pilot testing of the “Register Anywhere, Anytime” program in the National Capital Region, where registration kiosks will be set up in crowded areas like hospitals, airports, bus terminals, and call center hubs to cater to night workers.
BSKE preparations
Garcia mentioned that while there is uncertainty whether the elections will be postponed or not, the poll body will continue with its preparations.
He shared that the poll body’s procurement of election paraphernalia such as pens, papers, and 60,000 yellow ballot boxes is underway./coa
