BACOLOD City — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Bacolod City has deactivated around 20,000 voters for various reasons, primarily due to failure to vote in two consecutive elections.
City Election Officer Atty. Kathrina Trinio-Caña said most of the deactivated voters lost their active status after not participating in two successive polls, in accordance with election rules. She urged affected voters to apply for reactivation before the May 18 deadline.
“The deactivated voters are those who did not cast their ballots in two successive elections. These voters are being notified and are encouraged to personally visit the Comelec office to apply for reactivation so they can regain their right to vote in the upcoming elections,” Trinio-Caña said.
She added that some voter records were also deactivated after verification showed that the registrants were already deceased, necessitating the removal of their names from the voters’ list.
Meanwhile, Trinio-Caña said the Election Registration Board (ERB) conducted hearings from January 21 to 23 to act on more than 9,500 applications for voter registration filed between October 20 and December 30, 2025.
Records show that Bacolod City had a total of 355,880 registered voters during the May 2025 midterm elections.
To accommodate new registrations and reactivations, Comelec continues to roll out registration activities across the city. Voter registration is being conducted at Ayala Mall until Friday, January 23, with additional registration dates scheduled on January 29 and 30. Regular office-based registration is also available from Monday to Wednesday next week.
Satellite registration activities are likewise being planned in several barangays. Comelec will conduct satellite registration in Barangay Estefania this Saturday, while other barangays will be included once the necessary approvals are secured. All satellite registration activities are coordinated through the Comelec office.
The deadline for voter registration is May 18. Comelec officials said they are still identifying a suitable venue for the final day of registration, which typically attracts a large number of applicants.
Despite efforts to accommodate more registrants, officials noted that processing capacity remains limited due to the availability of equipment.
The Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections are scheduled to be held nationwide on November 2./PN
