Comelec: P4 billion more needed if BSKE postponed to 2026

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) projects that up to four million additional voters could be registered if the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) are postponed to November 2026.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia reported that a record 2.8 million people registered during the recently concluded 10-day voter registration period, a number that could still increase once nationwide registration resumes in October.

Garcia estimated that the poll body might require an extra P4 billion on top of the current P11-billion budget for the BSKE, citing the anticipated increase in voters by November 2026. He clarified that the budget allocated for the BSKE remains intact for now.

If the proposed measure to extend the term of incumbent barangay and SK officials is enacted into law, Garcia said the Comelec will conduct another round of nationwide registration for the BSKE from October until July 2026.

“If the BSKE is reset, we will again request an additional budget, since this was not included in the proposed 2026 budget,” Garcia said in Filipino.

“We will need funding because the additional 2.8 million could reach over three million, and if registration continues from October to July 2026, the number of additional voters could hit four million.”

Based on Comelec data, 65 percent of the 2.8 million new registrants are young people. Garcia noted that the recently concluded registration was the most successful the Comelec has ever conducted.

“It is impressive – 10 days, almost 2.8 million registrants. That’s equivalent to nearly two years of registration, if you think about it,” he said.

To encourage greater voter participation in future elections, Garcia announced that the Comelec will revive its online registration system.

Under this setup, applicants can file their applications online but will still be required to visit Comelec offices to take their oath and submit biometric data.

All applications will undergo review by the Election Registration Board and the poll body will also conduct a cleansing of the voters’ list to remove duplicate and multiple registrations.

From Aug. 1 to 10, the Comelec processed 2,727,643 applications, with 590,639 recorded on the final day alone.