ILOILO City – Western Visayas recorded one of the highest voter turnouts in the country during the May 12, 2025, midterm elections, with 86.46% of registered voters casting their ballots — surpassing the national average and marking a milestone in the region’s democratic engagement.
According to the Commission on Elections (Comelec), 2,704,681 out of 3,128,102 registered voters in the region participated in the polls, well above the national voter turnout of 81.65% or 55,874,700 out of 68,431,965 registered voters.
“Isang malaking pagbati sa sambayanang Pilipino sa matagumpay na 2025 National and Local Elections (NLE)! Ang mataas na voter turnout ay patunay ng ating masiglang partisipasyon at malasakit sa kinabukasan ng ating bayan. Ang maayos, mapayapa, at matagumpay na halalan ay tagumpay ng bawat Pilipino,” Comelec Region 6 said in an official statement posted on its Facebook page.
Provincial Election Supervisor Atty. Reinier Layson of Comelec-Iloilo attributed the high turnout in Iloilo Province — at 86.10% or 1,135,709 voters out of 1,319,109 registered voters — to the significance of the midterm elections, which are widely viewed as a precursor to the 2028 presidential race.
He also noted the intensity of local political contests, particularly in the 5th District, where tight races for the vice gubernatorial and congressional seats drew significant voter interest.
“Candidates themselves strongly encouraged their supporters to vote, which helped bring more people to polling centers,” Layson added.
Comelec chairman George Erwin Garcia expressed elation at the nationwide turnout, saying, “We are happy because, despite it being a midterm election, the voters still cast their ballots—this is the highest [voter turnout] in a midterm election.”
In comparison, the 2019 midterm elections posted a voter turnout of only around 75%.
Garcia attributed the remarkable turnout to an energized youth sector.
“Based on initial assessment, young people really came out in droves during these elections. The public wants their voices to be heard,” he said, while also highlighting strong participation among older voters during the early voting hours set for senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and pregnant women.
“More than three million [voters] showed up to our early voting hours, in just two hours,” Garcia noted.
The Comelec chief also cited the commission’s proactive stance during the entire election period as a key factor in driving voter engagement.
“At least in all fairness, we were everywhere starting from the registration period,” he said, adding that their anti-vote buying campaign and constant appeals to young voters helped elevate electoral awareness and turnout.
Of the total 68.4 million registered voters for the 2025 midterm elections, at least 28.11 million are aged between 18 to 34 years old, underscoring the growing influence of the youth vote in shaping the country’s political future./PN
