Young Filipinos comprise 52% of total registered voters for 2022 polls so far — Comelec
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 11) — Young Filipino voters may make a difference in next year's national elections as they now comprise 52% of the total registered voters, Commission on Elections (Comelec) director James Jimenez believes.
"That's how significant the youth vote is in the coming election," Jimenez said during an online briefing with CNN Philippines on Saturday.
In his presentation, the official said that as of July, 60.46 million Filipinos are already registered for the 2022 general elections—higher than Comelec's target of 59 million.
Out of that total, 31.41 million voters are in the age group of 18-40 years old, classified as the youth vote.
Despite the pandemic, Jimenez said the poll body expects to record more registered voters for the coming elections. In 2019, the number of registered voters stood at 61,843,771.
"We are closer to 62 million, the numbers keep growing. We have massive registration going on right now," he said, adding that Comelec has been processing over 25,000 registrants per day.
Jimenez hopes the pandemic task force would consider election as essential activity so Filipinos could smoothly go to their polling precinct regardless of quarantine status.
The Comelec official also reiterated they are considering adopting the system set for persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) for Filipinos in quarantine facilities due to COVID-19.
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