Rain dampens turnout expectations for Philippine special election

Heavy rain from the southwest monsoon is expected to significantly dampen voter turnout in Dasmariñas City's special election, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

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Yes, in situations like this, people naturally take extra care of their health, especially those who are already feeling unwell or have underlying health conditions, so they simply avoid leaving their homes.

Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia stated that people are taking extra precautions for their health, especially those with existing conditions, and are avoiding leaving their homes. "Yes, in situations like this, people naturally take extra care of their health, especially those who are already feeling unwell or have underlying health conditions, so they simply avoid leaving their homes," Garcia said.

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We previously projected a turnout of 60 to 65 percent. Now, we would be satisfied with a 50 percent voter turnout.

The commission has revised its turnout projection from an initial 60-65% to a more conservative 50%. Garcia expressed hope that the turnout would still be higher, given the importance of the congressional representative position being filled. He noted that past special elections, like the one in Antipolo City, saw much lower turnouts, around 31%. A plebiscite in Parañaque City recorded only 17.4% turnout.

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But I hope it’s higher here because the position they are filling is very important.

Despite the anticipated low turnout, Garcia clarified that it would not affect the election results. The Philippines employs the rule of plurality, meaning the candidate who receives the highest number of votes will be declared the winner, even if they do not secure a majority of the registered voters. Dasmariñas City, the sole district of Cavite, has 447,387 registered voters across 75 barangays.

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This means it is not required for a majority of registered voters to have cast their votes; the law dictates that the Comelec shall proclaim the candidate who garnered the most number of votes among all the candidates.