Over 1.7 million new voters registered as of July 18, 2022 —Comelec

More than 1.7 million new voters are registered as of July 18, according to acting Commission on Elections spokesperson Rex Laudiangco on Tuesday.

A total of 1,712,315 registered voters have been reported by the 13th day of the continuing voter registration period, which runs through July 23, 2022.

Laudiangco said that Comelec has achieved its initial targets for the December 5, 2022 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections of 66,053,357 total projected Barangay voters aged 18 and above, including new registrants; and 23,059,227 total SK voters aged 15 to 30 years old, including new registrants.

With the latest high turnout of applicants, Laudiangco said, the poll body believes it will even surpass its recalibrated estimates of 2,067,351 new registrants for both Barangay and SK elections.

"We had already reached and exceeded the original target of 1 million new voters. Therefore, given this high turnout exceeding the original projected target, it is but proper to consider recalibrated estimates in order to properly plan for and execute election preparatory activities," Laudianco said.

“This new figure, to be used for planning and pre-election preparatory activities, is largely based on the current estimates of the Philippine Statistics Authority that out of the projected 2023 Philippine Population of 112,892,781, those who will be of the voting age will total to 73,538,694.”

He then thanked the Filipino people, particularly the youth for their continuing support to the nation’s democratic process and keen interest in elections.

“We hope that we pursue patriotism in the exercise of our right to suffrage and continue our trust in governmental institutions,” he added. — BM, GMA News