Philippine voting opens for 2023 local barangay, Sangguniang Kabataan polls
After multiple delays, the Philippines is finally conducting local elections, referred to as barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE), marking the first time in five years.
BSKE kicked off early on Monday, with expectations of more than 68 million voters and 24 million SK voters participating, as reported by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
October 30 was declared a holiday to make way for the elections, which will decide the next set of barangay and youth officials.
The elections were supposed to take place in December 2022. However, in October last year, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed into law a bill moving the polls to October 2023.
In the Sangguniang Kabataan polls, individuals between the ages of 15 and 17 are eligible to vote. Those aged 18 to 30 will receive two ballots and can participate in both the SK and barangay elections. However, for voters aged 31 and above, their voting options are limited to the barangay polls exclusively.
In contrast to the automated national elections, voters in the Philippines today will manually inscribe the names of their chosen candidates on the ballots given to them by election personnel.
Last June, the Supreme Court ruled that the BSKE postponement was unconstitutional, arguing that the power to postpone elections on a nationwide basis rested only with the Congress, not the Commission on Elections (Comelec); and that the law infringed on freedom of suffrage.
On October 24, the high court rejected with finality the Office of the Solicitor General’s motion to reconsider its ruling declaring the BSKE postponement law unconstitutional. However, the SC said that the polls should still continue as planned.
The Comelec introduced early voting hours for vulnerable groups, including individuals with disabilities, senior citizens, and heavily pregnant women, in specific areas, starting from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. But those who don't vote during this period can still do so during the regular hours from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
As of September 2023, the Philippine Statistics Authority recorded 42,001 barangays, which are the country’s smallest administrative division, across the nation.
A gun ban was implemented at the start of the election period on August 28 and will last until November 29.
A day before the BSKE, all campaigning activities were banned, and a liquor ban was also implemented nationwide until after the end of the polls, pursuant to Comelec Resolution No. 10924.
Meanwhile, over 31,000 persons deprived of liberty would also be allowed to cast their vote, the Department of Interior and Local Government said. Inmates will exercise their right to vote either through special polling precincts established by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, or they will be escorted by authorities to their respective voting precincts.
