A large share of today's senior high school students in Bislig City will be old enough to vote in the next national elections. The Commission on Elections will reopen voter registration nationwide from the second week of November 2026, giving first-time voters about eight and a half months to sign up.

The dates

Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia announced the schedule in early October, according to Inquirer. Registration runs from the second week of November 2026 until July 30, 2027. It covers new registrants as well as transfers and reactivation of deactivated records.

Registration was able to reopen this early because the November 2, 2026 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections were postponed to November 2028 under Republic Act 12326, which President Marcos signed in September. With no election this year, Comelec moved straight to preparing for the May 2028 national and local elections. Garcia said scheduling registration early gives the commission time to finalize and verify the list of voters before ballots are printed, which Comelec targets for December 2027.

Comelec expects the number of registered voters nationwide to reach about 74 million for 2028, up from about 71 million now.

Who can register

Under the 1987 Constitution, a voter must be a Filipino citizen at least 18 years old who has lived in the Philippines for at least one year and in the city or town where they will vote for at least six months immediately before election day.

The age rule is counted on election day itself, not on the day you register. The Voter's Registration Act allows anyone who will turn 18 on or before election day to register in advance.

The 2028 national and local elections fall on the second Monday of May, which is May 8, 2028. That means a student born on or before May 8, 2010 can register during this period, even if they are still 16 when registration opens. In Bislig, that includes many students now in Grade 11 and Grade 12, and many first year students at NEMSU Bislig and the city's other colleges.

Why register early

The registration period closes on July 30, 2027, more than nine months before election day. Anyone who misses it will not be on the voters' list for May 2028. Registering in the first months, while classes are on a normal schedule, is easier than squeezing it in near the deadline.

There is also a practical point for students who study away from home. You vote only in the city or town where you are registered. A Bislig student studying in Butuan, Davao or Cebu should decide where they will vote on May 8, 2028 before registering, and can apply for a transfer later within the registration period if their plans change.

What to bring

Applicants appear in person at the Office of the Election Officer, fill out the application form, and have their photo, signature and fingerprints taken. Bring a valid ID that Comelec accepts. Comelec usually posts the full list of accepted IDs before registration begins, so check its official announcements before going.

Bislig Today will publish the Bislig election office's local schedule, including any satellite registration in schools or barangays, once it is announced.

Sources

  • Inquirer, "Comelec reopens voter registration in November for 2028 elections," October 2, 2026
  • Philstar, "Marcos signs law postponing 2026 barangay, SK elections," September 25, 2026
  • 1987 Constitution of the Philippines, Article V, Section 1
  • Republic Act 8189 (Voter's Registration Act of 1996)