Comelec: Despite pandemic, PH may see highest voter turnout yet
MANILA, Philippines — Despite restrictions posed by the pandemic, the Philippines may see its highest voter turnout yet, putting to rest the Commission on Elections (Comelec) “worst fears.”
In a press conference on Tuesday, Comelec Commissioner Marlon Casquejo said the poll body has recorded an 80.38 percent voter turnout as of Monday night.
“Hindi pa siya kumpleto kasi ‘yung ibang province hindi pa kasi tapos. We have around 80.38 voter turnout. So we are expecting na aakyat pa ‘to kapag tapos na ‘yung iba. Kasi we still have 2,000 plus or 1,000 plus (vote counting machines) na hindi pa nakapag-transmit,” he told reporters.
According to Casquejo, the highest recorded voter turnout was during the 2016 elections, when 81 percent of registered voters exercised their right to vote.
“In 2016, that was 81 percent. In 2019, it’s 70 percent something and we are now 80.38 [percent[ so we’re expecting similar voting turnout but much higher than 2016,” he said.
“Alam naman natin na kapag presidential elections, talagang maraming interisado na bumoto,” he added.
The voter turnout so far for the 2022 polls allayed the “worst fears” of the poll body, according to Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco.
“We have to emphasize that the 80.38 percent that we have right now is during the time of the pandemic. Nawala ‘yung worst fears natin,” he said.
“Remember nung 2016 wala po tayong restrictions. Ngayon po nasa pandemic and still the Filipino people got out of their homes and voted. So kami po ay nagagalak dito sa turn out,” he added.
Casquejo attributed the high turnout of voters for the 2022 elections to the interest of the electorate.
“Siguro sa kagustuhan ng mga kababayan natin na bumoto. They really wanted their vote to be counted. Even in your reports, doon sa Quezon City, ayaw talaga nila iwan yung balota nila because they really wanted to know or gusto nilang makita nila na yung kanilang balota ay binilang,” he added.
Overseas, local absentee
For the local absentee voting (LAV), Laudiangco said turnout was at 88 percent to date, the “highest” since 2010.
“This is the highest turnout mula pa noong 2010, ang average is 74 percent. This is record-breaking,” he said.
For the overseas absentee voting, the Comelec has recorded at least 34 percent, according to Casquejo.
“Hopefully baka tataas pa ‘to, we’ll reach 36 to 37 percent,” he added.
A total of 67.4 million Filipinos have registered to vote in this year’s election. The number included more than 84,000 local absentee voters and 1.679 million overseas voters.
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