Since the 2018 elections, the voter turnout in the 2023 polls increased by 4.56 percent in the barangay elections and 10.57 percent in the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.
The voter turnout in the barangay elections reached 75.76 percent, while the SK elections reached 76.08 percent, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday.
This is higher compared to the barangay and SK polls in 2018 with 71.20 percent and 65.51 percent, respectively.
“It might not have reached 8-percent but still a marked increase in voter turnout,” said Comelec Spokesman Atty. John Rex Laudiangco in Filipino.
Out of the 4,771,373 registered voters in the recent barangay elections, only 3,614,800 actually voted.
Meanwhile, 1,258,644 actually voted in the SK elections out of 1,654,373 registered voters.
On Monday, Comelec Chairman George Garcia said in a news briefing that they are aiming for at least 80 percent voter turnout.
“We are hoping that it will reach 80 percent based on the number of voters in polling centers,” said Garcia.
Garcia told reporters they are “100 percent done” with the elections and had just “resolved the last tie.”
Image credits: Nonie Reyes, Bernard Testa, Nonoy Lacza and Joel Paredes
