Philippines COMELEC confirms readiness for Nov 2 Barangay and Youth elections

The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in the Philippines said it is fully prepared to conduct the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) on 2 November 2026. Chairperson George Edwin M. Garcia reported that ₱8 billion of the ₱19 billion budget has already been spent on ballot printing, ballpens, indelible ink and other election supplies, with the remaining ₱11 billion earmarked for honoraria of electoral board members, training of public‑school teachers as poll workers, and deployment logistics.

Despite seven bills in the House and one in the Senate proposing to postpone the vote because of the energy crisis, Garcia said COMELEC will participate in congressional hearings and offer its perspective. He also urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to declare 3 November a special non‑working holiday to give voters time to travel to their home provinces after voting on 2 November.