ILOILO City — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Western Visayas has entered full election mode for the Nov. 2, 2026 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE), with more than 3.14 million registered regular voters and 1.1 million SK voters now officially listed as preparations intensify across the region.
Comelec Region 6 director Atty. Dennis Ausan said voter registration has been completed, the voters’ list finalized and polling preparations are now focused on training election personnel, determining precinct requirements and awaiting final election guidelines from the national office.
“We are all in ‘election mode. Wala kami gapanumdom resetting or postponement subong. Full swing ang amon preparations,” Ausan told Panay News.
As of June 1, 2026, Western Visayas has 3,142,243 registered regular voters across 3,389 barangays: Iloilo (1,649,653), Capiz (544,622), Aklan (417,387), Antique (404,557), and Guimaras (126,024).
For the SK elections, the region has 1,104,427 registered voters: Iloilo (572,056), Capiz (195,065), Antique (147,725), Aklan (146,733), and Guimaras (42,848).
Ausan said the completion of voter registration has enabled Comelec to determine polling places, electoral boards, teachers to be deployed and ballots to be printed.
“We are done already with the registration of voters… we should know how many ballots we will be printing, so natapos na naton, dira na kita nga level,” Ausan added.
“At this stage gahulat na lang kami sang final guidance from Comelec (central office)… we’re waiting for that,” he stressed.
The BSKE will be conducted manually, with voters writing the names of their chosen candidates on official ballots.
“Unlike the national and local elections, we’ll be doing manual elections… it will be the voters who will be writing the names of the candidates of their choice,” Ausan stressed.
Ausan reminded the public that those aged 18 and above may vote in the barangay elections, while those aged 15 to 30 may vote in the SK elections. SK candidates must be 18 to 24 years old.
The filing of Certificates of Candidacy is set for Sept. 28 to Oct. 5. The election period runs from Oct. 3 to Nov. 9 with a nationwide gun ban. Campaigning will be from Oct. 22 to 31, with a campaign and liquor ban on Nov. 1. Voting on Nov. 2 will be from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Welcoming the strong youth registration turnout, Ausan urged newly registered voters to cast their ballots and encouraged older voters to set an example by actively exercising their right to vote./PN
