Your Vote, Their Future: How to Register for Elections 2028
Registration is open until July 30, 2027. Here’s how parents and first-time voters can get on the list
Voter registration for the 2028 national elections is now open.
The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) resumed registration on November 10, 2026. It runs until July 30, 2027. That sounds like forever, but anyone who has lined up on a deadline week knows how fast “forever” goes.
Why now?
Registration reopened earlier than usual after the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) were moved. Republic Act 12326 postponed the BSKE from November 2026 to November 2028.
COMELEC Chairperson George Garcia said this nine-month window is the last chance to register for the 2028 National and Local Elections. COMELEC hopes to add about three million new voters to the roughly 71 million already on the list.
Photo from COMELEC Education and Information Department
Who should register?
This round is not just for first-timers. You can:
- Register for the first time, including young Filipinos who will be 18 by election day in May 2028
- Reactivate your registration if you missed voting in two consecutive elections
- Transfer your registration if your family has moved to a new city or municipality
- Correct or update your records, such as a name change after marriage
Tip: If you are not sure you are still active, check before the deadline. Garcia has said COMELEC is also hoping around three million deactivated voters come back.
How to register
- Go to your local COMELEC office (Office of the Election Officer) or a registration site at selected malls.
- Bring a valid government-issued ID. COMELEC has said barangay certificates will not be accepted.
- Fill out the application form and have your photo, fingerprints, and signature taken.
- Keep your acknowledgment receipt until your application is approved.
Want a preview before you go? COMELEC has posted a video walkthrough of the process on its official channels.
Watch for pop-up sites. On opening day, COMELEC held a Special Register Anywhere Program (SRAP) at Rizal Park in Manila and at National University Lipa in Batangas. More pop-ups may come to a school or mall near you.
Family abroad? Overseas Filipinos have a separate deadline: September 30, 2027. Details are on the COMELEC website.
Make it a family thing
- Turn it into a parent-and-teen date. Your 17-year-old registers; you check that your own record is still active. Merienda after is optional but highly recommended.
- Go early in the period. Lines tend to grow as deadlines near.
- Talk about it at home. Kids learn about civic life the same way they learn table manners: by watching us.
Why your vote matters
In May 2028, Filipinos will choose a new president and a new set of leaders who will serve for the next six years. For a child starting Grade 1 today, that is most of their elementary years.
For first-time voters, 2028 is their chance to have a say in the country they will inherit. For parents and guardians, it is a chance to show what showing up looks like.
Election Day may feel far away. Registration is how we make sure we are not left out when it arrives.
More on elections
Youth Power: What The 2025 Midterm Elections Showed The Country
2022 Elections: Reasons Why The Youth’s and Old’s Votes Clash
5 Things Every Parent Needs To Know About Voting
Frequently Asked Questions
Voter registration runs from November 10, 2026, to July 30, 2027. Overseas Filipinos have a separate registration window that closes on September 30, 2027.
Applicants must present a valid government-issued photo ID (e.g., Philippine National ID, Passport, Driver’s License, SSS/GSIS ID, Postal ID, or Student ID).
Applications are accepted at your local Office of the Election Officer (OEO). COMELEC also conducts registrations at designated mall sites and pop-up locations through the Register Anywhere Program (RAP) and Special Register Anywhere Program (SRAP).
