Low voter list-up in CAR not worrisome – Comelec

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday said it is not worried over the low number of voter registrants in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) for the May 2025 national and local polls.

In a phone interview, Comelec spokesman John Rex Laudiangco said they are not concerned that less than 100,000 have applied to become registered voters in the region because CAR has the lowest number of population among all regions of the country.

“We don’t really expect the number of voter registrants to be high in CAR. The population in the Cordillera is not high,” Laudiangco said.

Similarly, the poll official said many residents of CAR areas are already based in neighbouring regions.

“Unlike in other areas, it is difficult to come home to CAR during the elections. Those who are based in other regions, they opt to get registered and cast their votes there,” he said.

Based on the latest number released by the Comelec, only 57,709 have applied to be registered voters in CAR during from February 12 to July 9.

This is way lower compared to the Calabarzon (742,925), National Capital Region (603,496), and Central Luzon (510,503) – the three regions with the highest number of voter registrants for the 2025 elections.

For the entire country, there are already 4,358,430 applicants for voter registration.

Voter registration activities are held Mondays to Saturdays, including holidays, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in all Offices of the Election Officer (OEO) nationwide.

The voter registration period is set to end on September 30, 2024.