More than 2 million Negrenses expected to go out and vote tomorrow, Oct.30

October 29, 2023

More than two million Negrenses are expected to troop to polling centers in the 622 barangays of Negros Occidental tomorrow, October 30 to vote for their candidates in the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Election.

Records from the Commission on Elections show that Negros Occidental, including its capital Bacolod City, has 2,014,725 regular voters. It has 660,709 youth voters aging 15-30 years old.

There are a total of 29,640 candidates for the BSKE of which 1,611 are running for barangay captains. Of the number of those running for punong barangay, 1,239 are men and 372 are women.

In the race for barangay councilor (kagawad) which has 4,634 seats available, there are 15,612 candidates. Of the figure, 11,097 are men and 4,515 women, COMELEC data showed.

There are 1,882 aspirants for the position of SK chairman including 1,117 men and 765 women.

A total of 10,535 people are running for the position of SK kagawad of which 5,616 are men and 4,919 women.

Atty. Ian Lee Ananoria, provincial election supervisor, called for prayers for honest, orderly and peaceful elections.
Earlier, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson has already put the entire province under Red Alert status for the coming BSKE and Undas in anticipation for any emergencies effective October 28.

In a memorandum dated October 23, Lacson ordered the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council Emergency Operations Center to raise the status of Negros Occidental to red alert effective October 28, 2023, 8:00AM to 8:00 A.M. of November 3, 2023.

Concerned agencies, offices, and City/Municipal Risk Reduction and Managemenf Offices are advised to raise their status to red for the protection of life and properties during emergencies on the said events.

Lacson, in a message to this writer Saturday, called on candidates and supporters “to keep this BSKE peaceful and credible.”

“Go out and vote and respect the results,” the governor said.* (with reports from Eugene Y. Adiong)