The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday said the 2026 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) will remain manual as no new law has been enacted to change the election timetable or process.

Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco said the poll body has not received any legislation postponing the elections or altering existing procedures.

“The elections will remain manual,” Laudiangco said, adding that Comelec is continuing its preparations for the synchronized barangay and youth council polls.

Laudiangco also announced the official election calendar for the 2026 BSKE.

The election period will run from 3 October to 9 November 2026, while the filing of certificates of candidacy will be from 28 September to 5 October.

The poll body said the campaign period will run from 22 to 31 October, with 1 November designated as the eve of the election, when campaigning is prohibited. Election day is set for 2 November 2026.

Aspiring candidates were reminded that premature campaigning is prohibited in barangay and SK elections.

Unlike national and local elections, where a Supreme Court ruling effectively allows candidates to campaign before the official campaign period because they are not yet considered candidates until the campaign begins, barangay and SK elections are governed by a different rule under the Omnibus Election Code.

Laudiangco warned that individuals who campaign before the official campaign period for the BSKE may face election offense charges.