Comelec optimistic of 75% voter turnout in 2019 polls

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said it is on track to reach its projected 75 percent voter turnout for the 2019 midterm elections, an official of the poll body said Monday.

Comelec James Jimenez revealed that as of May 19, 74.89 percent or a total of 46.3 milion votes had been recorded based on the electronically transmitted certificates of canvass (COCs).

“As of this point, we have already 74.89 percent voter turnout. So we are on track to meet the 75 percent projection that we said earlier,” Jimenez said in a press conference at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City.

“Seventy-five to 78 (percent) ‘yung projection natin, ‘diba? So mukhang maaabot natin yan (That’s our projection, right? It looks like we are going to achieve it),” he added.

Jimenez earlier said that expected voter turnout will only be 75 to 78 percent, although the number of voters in the 2019 elections was higher than the 2016 polls.

READ: Comelec expects 78% voter turnout

As of Sunday night, 162 COCs from across the country and posts abroad had been canvassed by the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC), which accounted for 97 percent of a total of 167 COCs.

The remaining five COCs will come from Japan, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Washington, DC in the United States, and the province of Isabela.

The Comelec, which sits as the NBOC, resumed its session on Monday but quickly suspended it because there were no new transmissions of certificates of canvass (COCs).

The NBOC is set to reconvene at 7 p.m. on Monday. (Editor: Eden Estopace)

READ: Comelec resumes canvassing, then suspends after no new COC transmission