Comelec Spokesperson James Jimenez. INQUIRER file photo
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said that voter turnout in the 2018 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections, even without the official raw data, is considered high.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 have the actual turnout figures yet, we鈥檙e collating that even as we speak, but it seems like, anecdotally, a lot of people turned out to vote,鈥� Comelec Spokesperson James Jimenez said in an interview with Inquirer.net on Monday afternoon.
Jimenez added that elections have been conducted without any major disruptions, as Comelec has not declared any failure of elections.聽He also said that voting hours were only extended in polling precincts that opened later than expected.
鈥淲ala tayong dineclare na failure of elections [We have not declared any failure of elections].聽聽Voting period in some places had to be delayed its start, the difference was made up with a later closure,鈥� Jimenez said.
Jimenez maintained though that the delays were not because of Comelec鈥檚 preparations, but are made up of 鈥渆xternal things.鈥�
鈥淎s far as Comelec is concerned, the factors which could have been attributed to Comelec鈥檚 prepartions were largely addressed before the elections.聽聽So 鈥榶ong mga other things, external things, 鈥榶on ang nagcause ng delay of elections,鈥� Jimenez said.
鈥淗alimbawa, there was one place kung saan 鈥榶ong mga (poll) watchers walang ID, so they have to be removed from the place, so medyo matagal na-resolve 鈥榶an.聽聽In another place, some of the board of election tellers came late, you couldn鈥檛 start without these people,鈥� he added. /jpv
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