Over 1M register for 2026 BSKE

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has reached the one-million mark in voter registrations for the 2026 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE), with its latest running data as of Dec. 21 showing more than 1.02 million processed applications nationwide.

Of the total, 785,420 are regular applicants, while 235,274 are registered under the Sangguniang Kabataan category, representing youth aged 15 to 17.

These figures include new registrations, document transfers, reactivations, reinstatements, and correction of entries.

Among them, 278,388 are new registrants aged 18 and above, while 230,666 are new youth applicants who want to participate in next year’s elections.

Region IV-A (Calabarzon) leads with 216,859 registrants, followed by the National Capital Region with 121,863 and Central Luzon with 118,610. The Cordillera Administrative Region recorded the lowest tally with 13,005, followed by Western Visayas at 29,870. Nationwide voter registration for the 2026 BSKE continues until May 18, 2026.

In a separate development, the Comelec has suspended the scheduled filing of Certificates of Candidacy for the March 2026 Bangsamoro parliamentary elections. Under Resolution No. 11183 issued on Monday, the filing period — originally set for Jan. 5-9, 2026 — has been deferred pending the enactment of a new parliamentary districting law by the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA).

The suspension follows the Supreme Court ruling directing the BTA to determine parliamentary districts, which have yet to be enacted. Comelec said a new filing period will be set once the necessary districting law is in place. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking