Poll body eyes more voters for October elections

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said there are now 1.9 million voters for this year’s barangay elections and 737,207 voters for the Sanguniang Kabataan (SK) polls.

This is based on the records of the poll body as of yesterday.

The registered voters for the SK, though, have decreased by 32,956 since they are now 18 years old and above.

They have registered to vote in the barangay elections or be voted as barangay officials.

Cebu Provincial Election Su- pervisor Lionel Marco Castillano said the total number of voters only covers the 1,093 barangays in Cebu Province and does not include yet the highly-urbanized cities of Cebu and Lapu-Lapu.

The barangay and SK polls are slated on Oct. 23.

The province, Castillano said, will have 5,722 clustered precincts in the upcoming polls while Cebu City will have 1,704 clustered precincts for the barangay elections and 515 clustered precincts for the SK elections.

Unlike in the local and national elections, each clustered precinct will only cater to 400 voters instead of 800 voters.

To encourage more people, especially the youth, to participate in the polls, Castillano said they will be going to the schools in the province.

This will also help lessen the number of people going to their office on the last day of voter’s registration, which is on April 29.

Castillano said they will also hold a voter’s registration campaign in the different municipalities in the province during the Holy Week since most of the students are going home.

“Our teenagers, our young people may open our Comelec Facebook so they may know more about our activities in connection with the registration of voters,” he added.