DAVAO CITY (March 31) — The clock is running out for Bangsamoro voters, with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) firmly shutting the door on any extension of voter registration in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
“Definitely, we have no more extensions,” Comelec Chairman George Garcia said, making clear that March 31 is the final cutoff for aspiring voters in the region.
The deadline carries double weight. Those who make it in will be eligible to vote not only in the September 2026 Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections but also in the November 2026 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls.
“This is two for one… Be part of the change. Let your voices be heard,” Garcia urged, as election offices brace for a last-minute surge.
So far, registration numbers suggest a modest turnout. Comelec data shows 132,178 applicants recorded between February 9 and March 28 — still short of the agency’s 150,000 target.
Leading the count is Lanao del Sur with 39,974 registrants, followed by Maguindanao del Norte (27,308) and Maguindanao del Sur (20,633). Basilan logged 18,234, while the Special Geographic Area posted 13,619 and Tawi-Tawi 12,410.
Registration runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mondays to Saturdays, at Offices of Election Officers and satellite centers across BARMM.
With no extension on the table, the final hours could determine whether thousands are locked out of two critical elections — or pulled into a political transition that will shape the region’s first fully elected parliament.
