The Commission on Elections said the number of registered regular voters has increased to around 71 million ahead of the 2026 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.

Comelec chairperson George Garcia said Tuesday the figure was higher than the 68 million regular voters recorded during the 2025 national and local elections.

“More or less, in the 2025 elections, we had 68 million regular voters. Now, we have more or less 71 million regular voters,” Garcia said in an interview.

Garcia also said the number of registered Sangguniang Kabataan voters has reached around 25 million ahead of the November 2026 polls.

“The Sangguniang Kabataan voters are now 25 million,” he added.

According to Garcia, around 5.6 million individuals registered during the voter registration period from 20 October 2025 to 18 May 2026.

He said voter registration may resume by February 2027 following the conduct of the barangay and SK elections.

Garcia also clarified the voting process for younger voters participating in the synchronized village and youth council polls.

He explained that registered SK voters are between 15 and 30 years old.

Voters aged 15 to 17 will only receive one ballot for the SK elections, while those aged 18 to 30 will receive two ballots — one for the SK elections and another for the barangay elections.

The barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections are scheduled on 2 November 2026.

The BSKE was originally scheduled earlier but had been postponed several times through legislation. The upcoming polls will elect barangay officials and youth leaders nationwide for the next term.

Comelec earlier said it continues preparations for the elections, including voter registration, precinct planning, and coordination with local government units to ensure the orderly conduct of the polls.