THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) recorded a voter turnout of 81.65 percent in the recent midterm polls—its highest in history.
Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia announced on Thursday that 55,874,700 of the 68,431,965 registered voters participated in the elections.
“We are happy because, despite it being a midterm election, the voters still cast their ballots—this is the highest [voter turnout] in a midterm election,” Garcia said during a press conference at Manila Hotel’s Tent City.
This figure surpasses the 75 percent turnout from the 2019 midterm elections. Garcia credited the high turnout to the active participation of youth voters, a trend also observed during the 2022 presidential elections.
Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco clarified that the 81.65 percent is still an unofficial estimate, pending the final canvassing of all 175 certificates of canvass (COCs) by the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC). These COCs include crucial data such as total voters and official vote counts.
The final results are expected soon, with Comelec projecting to complete the national tally in just three days—a record speed in Philippine election history. The current voter turnout trails only slightly behind the 2022 presidential elections’ 84.2 percent.
