Comelec expects voter registration to exceed 3M target

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) expects voter registration to surpass its target of three million applicants before the registration period ends on 30 July 2027, citing strong turnout in the first days of the nationwide campaign.

Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said the number of applicants has remained high since registration began on 10 November 2026, with young Filipinos accounting for a significant share of registrants.

“‘Yung tatlong milyon na plano natin na iparehistro hanggang July 30, 2027 hindi lang marereach, mukhang mas malalampasan natin ‘yan,” Garcia said.

Nearly 37,000 people registered nationwide on the first day, while the cumulative number of applicants has since approached 80,000, according to Garcia.

“‘Yung unang araw almost 37,000 sa buong pinas. Doblehin na natin. Kulang-kulang na tayo ng mga 80K sa buong pilipinas. Sadyang blockbuster. Halos hindi kapanipaniwala,” the Comelec chief said.

Garcia welcomed the strong participation of young voters, describing it as an encouraging sign of public interest in the electoral process.

“Magandang indikasyon po ‘yan lalo na ‘pag nakito n’yo mga kabataan talaga ang nagparehistro,” he said.

He also expressed optimism that expanding the Register Anywhere Program (RAP) could attract more applicants by making registration services more accessible.

The program is currently being implemented in highly urbanized cities, other cities and provincial capitals.

Garcia expressed hope that the next administration would continue the initiative to encourage greater voter participation.