The Negros Island Region (NIR) recorded a total of 241,422 registrants for the September 2026 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) during the entire registration period from Oct. 20, 2025 to May 18, 2026, a Commission on Elections (Comelec) official said Tuesday.
Lawyer Dindo Maglasang, assistant regional election director of Comelec-NIR, said Negros Occidental accounted for the biggest share with 164,375 registrants, while Negros Oriental recorded 72,081 and Siquijor registered 4,966 voters.
On the last day of registration on Monday, the Comelec accommodated 12,385 voter registration applications, he said.
“We were able to accommodate all applicants who arrived at the registration sites before the 5 p.m. deadline since they had already completed their application forms and were waiting in line,” Maglasang said in an interview.
In Bacolod City, registration activities extended until around 8 p.m. to ensure that everyone in line was accommodated, he added.
Based on Comelec-NIR records, Negros Occidental posted the highest number of applications processed on the final day with 7,545 registrants, followed by Negros Oriental with 4,391, and Siquijor with 449.
Meanwhile, the Register Anywhere Program (RAP) recorded 338 registrants in Negros Occidental and 848 in Negros Oriental, while Siquijor reported no registrants under the program.
Maglasang said the RAP was suspended during the final day of registration to avoid confusion with regular voter registration procedures.
He said the registration went smoothly despite minor issues such as long queues in some areas.
Some applicants also encountered difficulty in filling out the voter registration forms, which slowed down processing in certain areas despite assistance from Comelec personnel, he added.
“We will study the issue to determine the cause and identify possible improvements,” Maglasang said.
He clarified, however, that nothing changed in the registration form they have been using. (PNA)