Early voter registration cutoffs spark complaints

MANILA, Philippines — Complaints poured in on the final day of voter registration for the 2026 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) after some Commission on Elections (Comelec) offices stopped accommodating applicants hours before the official closing time.

Among those turned away was Ciella Pallasigui, who went to the Comelec satellite registration site at SM North Edsa in Quezon City on Monday afternoon for voter reactivation alongside her sister and brother-in-law who wanted to register as voters.

“When we got there, they no longer allowed us to line up because they said there was already a cutoff. That was around 2 p.m.,” Pallasigui told the INQUIRER.

READ: Comelec voter registration for BSKE ends May 18: What you need to know

She said some applicants had reportedly been waiting since morning but were still not accommodated.

“There were others there too… she was there around 11 a.m., but she was no longer accommodated. She was no longer given a number to register,” she said.

Last-day rush

When asked why she chose to register on the last day, Pallasigui said, “It was not really communicated well to all of us,” noting that they only learned about the approaching deadline four days before registration closed.

“Everybody has a reason. I’m a parent, I have a child with special needs, I’m also working five days, sometimes six days a week. So it’s hard to file a leave,” Pallasigui added.

“But that’s not the point. The point is, they already know that most people, like they always say, that’s a Filipino trait, right, we tend to come on the last day. All the more that they should have prepared for it,” she added, saying that Comelec should have anticipated the last-day rush.

According to Pallasigui, election personnel cited limited computers and manpower as reasons for the cutoff.

READ: LIST: Comelec’s Special Register Anywhere Program schedule

She also claimed mall management was willing to extend operating hours if applicants would still be accommodated.

“When we spoke to the management of SM, they were willing to extend the time as long as everyone could be accommodated. But apparently, Comelec did not request for an extension,” she said.

Call for improvements

Despite this, Pallasigui said many applicants left frustrated after failing to secure slots. She said Comelec officers said they can write to the poll body for complaints and to ask for an extension.

“I hope this was also shared with the public. They were posting on Facebook, yet this was not posted, which is why many people earlier had no idea about the cutoff,” she said, talking about the cutoff.

Pallasigui further urged the poll body to improve future registration drives to ensure more Filipinos can exercise their right to vote.

“If the real goal is to make sure that everybody gets to vote and everybody gets to exercise their right to vote, then they should make sure that even the last person wanting to register is accommodated,” she said.

‘Last day scenario’ provision

In response to complaints, Comelec spokesperson, lawyer John Rex Laudiangco, said election officers had to implement the “Last Day Scenario” provision under Section 6 of Comelec Resolution No. 11177 because of the unusually high turnout.

He said that the Comelec understands the frustrations of the people and is happy about the turnout since registrations were going on for seven months already since Oct. 20, 2025, across offsite, remote and satellite registrations, and various Special Register/Anytime Anywhere Program locations.

“According to the data as of May 16, 2026, an extraordinary total of nearly 5.2 million applications had already been processed within seven months, the highest number of applicants ever recorded in any registration cycle in the history of the Comelec,” he added.

READ: Comelec processes over 5.1 M voter registration applications

“However, due to the extraordinary number of people who arrived on May 18, 2026, the last day of voter registration, our Election Officers had to implement the Last Day Scenario provision under Section 6 of Comelec Resolution No. 111777, which directed them to determine the maximum number of applicants they could process and accommodate,” Laudiangco said Monday in a Viber message sent to reporters.

Cut-offs

According to him, “On average, each district office is currently accommodating around 1,200 to more than 1,500 applications. There are also some offices processing more than 2,000 applications.”

Laudiangco said that once offices reached capacity, election personnel had to determine how many applicants could still realistically be processed before midnight.

“And by 3 p.m., if there are still many people lined up within the 30-meter radius, officials will list down the names of those who can still be accommodated and who will be called at a designated time later that day,” he explained.

He added that many Metro Manila offices had already reached maximum processing capacity by morning, forcing some sites to stop accepting additional applicants as early as noon.

Still, he assured those already included in official lists that their applications would continue to be processed “no matter how many hours it takes.”

Next voter registration application

When asked if another round of voter registration will open after the BSKE this November 2026 and in time for the 2028 local and national elections, Comelec said voter registration would reopen sometime in 2027.

“BIn compliance with Republic Act No. 8189, there will be another round of voter registration sometime in 2027 for those who will become qualified voters for the 2028 National and Local Elections,” Laudiangco reaffirmed. /das