The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is hoping to record a 75-percent voter turnout in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Parliamentary Elections (BPE) set to be held next month.
According to Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia, they are looking to have a minimum of 70 percent of the 2.39 million registered voters in the region to participate in the Sept. 14 polls.
“We hope we can increase not only the awareness but also the voter turnout among our fellow citizens. I hope we can reach at least 70 percent to 75 percent, or even higher,” he said in a telephone interview, emphasizing that they would want more voters to participate in the first-ever Bangsamoro parliamentary polls.
“If we only manage a 20 percent voter turnout here in the Bangsamoro elections, it would seem as though we didn’t do anything about it,” Garcia said.
Based on Comelec data there are a total of 2,393,202 registered BARMM voters.
Lanao del Sur has the highest number of registered voters with 727,546; followed by Maguindanao del Sur with 469,114; Maguindanao del Norte with 419,365; Tawi-Tawi with 264,188; Basilan with 248,245; Special Geographic Area with 133,673; and Cotabato City with 131,071.
On Election Day, the poll body will be establishing 5,212 clustered precincts located in 1,186 voting centers. BARMM has 2,185 barangays.
Voters will be electing one Regional Parliamentary Political Party and one candidate for Parliamentary District Representative in their respective areas.
They will also choose six nominees for Parliamentary Sectoral Organizations, including two for Settler Communities, one for Women, one for Youth, one for Traditional Leaders and one for Ulama. (PNA)