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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Comelec calls for bigger election budget; expects voter boom in 2028

Comelec calls for bigger election budget; expects voter boom in 2028

Published May 14, 2025 12:56 pm  |  Updated May 14, 2025 02:46 pm

At A Glance

  • The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is hoping that lawmaker would approve its recommendations for the conduct of the 2028 polls, which include increasing the elections' budget and tapping the help of private establishments.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is hoping that lawmaker would approve its recommendations for the conduct of the 2028  polls, which include increasing the elections’ budget and tapping the help of private establishments.
Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia on Wednesday, May 14, laid out some of his initial suggestions two days after the 2025 mid-term polls were carried out.
These included increasing the budget so that the poll body could rent more voting machines.
More voting machines mean that more precincts that can be opened, effectively lessening the number of voters in one precinct.
“Umaabot ng 800 registered voters bawat presinto, kailangan po namin itong i-cluster o pagsamasamahin dahil ito lamang ang binigay na budget, ito lang ang makina na atin pong magagamit (Our registered voters reach as many as 800 per precinct, we need to cluster them or put them together in one precinct, because our budget is limited and they must share one voting machines)," Garcia said in an interview on DZRH.
"Pero kung tayo po'y pinayagan kahit tig-400 bawat presinto lang, basta ba merong budget na pangrenta man lang ng makina, therefore dadami po ang presinto natin (But only if we are allowed to limit the number of voters by 400 per precinct, as long as there is a budget to at least rent the machines, we can increase the number of precincts)," he added.
He says that is what Comelec has been "insisting on" before the executive and the legislative branches.
There is also a need for lawmakers to allow the use of private establishments because it is becoming “unfair” for Filipinos to vote in crowded and hot elementary school servings as polling precincts.
The use of private establishments will also increase the number of precincts, therefore public schools will become less crowded.
Lawmakers must take action as Comelec is expecting more voters in the next elections.
“Dumadami ang voting populations tapos ang ating pagboto laging Mayo dahil nakalagay yan sa ating Saligang Batas. So ano po ang ibig sabihin, asahan niyo po yung laging napakahabang pila, napakainit, napaka-unfair na kondisyon ng ating mga botante (Our voting population is increasing, while the conduct of polls is always in May during summer in accordance to the Constitution. So what does it mean? We should expect more lines under intense heat, which is unfair for our voters)," he said.
From 68 million voters in 2025, Comelec is expecting that this number to climb to at around 71 million by 2028.
“Therefore, sa atin pong palagay kinakailangan pag-isipan na ng ating mga mambabatas, payagan na na magkaroon tayo ng pagboto sa mga pribadong malalaking lugar o gusali (we believe that lawmakers must consider allowing voting in private establishments)," he said.
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