Comelec: Voter registration turnout reached over 2M

Over two million voter applications have been filed with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) less than two weeks before the registration period ends, the poll body said Wednesday.

"Data from the Election and Barangay Affairs Department (EBAD) show a running total of 2,013,105 applications nationwide, covering the period of August 1, 2019 to September 7, 2019," Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said in a statement.

This number is composed of 1,537,616 regular registrants, those aged 18 and above; and 475,489 eligible voters for the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) election—those 15 to 17 years old.

Calabarzon had the highest regular voter registration turnout with 262,510 applications.

The Bicol Region, on the other hand, had the most number of first-time registrants for the SK polls at 55,622.

According to Comelec, there are more female than male registrants.

"All types of applications are accepted in the current registration period including application for registration, transfer, change/corrections of entries, reactivation, inclusion, and reinstatement of name in the list of voters," Jimenez said.

The ongoing registration will run until September 30, 2019.

The next barangay and SK elections are scheduled on May 2020 but President Rodrigo Duterte has urged Congress to move it to October 2022 "to rectify the truncated term" of local officials and give them ample time to finish their projects.

Senator Imee Marcos, meanwhile, proposes to reschedule the May 2020 elections to May 2023. — RSJ, GMA News