COMELEC EXPECTS 85% TURNOUT OR BETTER

In barangay and SK elections, familiarity does not breed contempt; it’s what motivates voters to show up, a Comelec official says Liquor ban now in effect until the end of Election Day; Comelec rules also prohibit giving free rides, food, drinks and other

A Commission on Elections (Comelec) official expects a high turnout in Cebu for tomorrow’s village and youth council elections.

Cebu Provincial Election Supervisor Lionel Marco Castillano said he expected turnout to reach 85 percent of registered voters. In previous Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections, the turnout ranged from 80 to 85 percent, he said.

More voters tend to participate in barangay elections, Castillano said, because they know the candidates and are more familiar with them than they are with those running in other local or national elections.

The number of registered voters is also bigger. For tomorrow, voters 15 to 17 years old will choose a chairperson and SK councilors, unlike regular elections when voters must be at least 18 in order to participate.

Castillano appealed to the vot- ers to go to their polling places early, in order to avoid crowds and long lines. He also reminded voters to prepare a list of the candidates they want to vote for, as another way to speed up the voting process.

Voters who are 18 to 30 will need to vote for two sets, the SK and barangay officials. Those over 30 will need to vote only for barangay officials.

A total of 3,968,463 voters are registered in Cebu Province for this year’s elections.

Of that group, 2,887,455 are registered barangay voters, while 1,081,008 are registered SK voters.

Of the 3.9 million voters in the province, 2,057,801 are females while 1,910,662 are males.

Cebu City has the largest number of registered voters at

900,690, of whom 410,558 are in the first or north district, while 490,132 belong to the second district.

The largest voting populations in Cebu are, after Cebu City, in Mandaue, at 289,861 voters; Lapu-Lapu, 271,127; Talisay, 178,536; Toledo, 147,588; Danao, 120,922; and Consolacion town, 109,140.

A total of 37,891 filed their certificates of candidacy (COC) for this election, which had been postponed twice since October 2013.

Of the candidates, 24,636 are males while 13,255 are females.

Of the candidates, 2,494 are running for barangay captain, while 19,526 want to serve in the barangay councils.

At least 2,607 want to be SK chairpersons, and 13,264 want to be elected as SK councilors.

Castillano said he was confident in the security preparations put in place by the police and military, and hopeful for a safe, honest, and orderly election in Cebu.

The sale and consumption of liquor is banned today and all day tomorrow, as part of efforts to keep the elections orderly.

The Comelec also prohibits giving or accepting “free transportation, food, drinks, and things of value.” Campaigning is also prohibited, since the official campaign period ended at 11:59 p.m. of May 12.

Under Comelec rules, booths or stalls that sell refreshments and other merchandise must be kept at least 30 meters away from the nearest polling place.