21/07/2026
๐ข๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ง ๐ข๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ก ๐ข๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก๐ฆ (๐๐ข๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐) โ ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฃ๐จ๐ฆ
๐๐น๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฌ% + ๐ญ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐พ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐จ๐ป๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐
The Commission on Elections (COMSELEC) โ Orani Campus acknowledges the concerns and discussions regarding the voter turnout during the recently concluded student elections, particularly the interpretation of the 50% + 1 requirement for unopposed candidates.
๐๐๐๐๐ :
COMSELECโOrani Campus allegedly proclaimed the winners of the 2026 Student Government Elections despite the reported voter turnout in some colleges falling below the required 50% + 1 threshold. The claim cites the following voter turnout figures: ๐๐ข๐๐ (๐ฎ๐ฎ.๐ต%), ๐๐ข๐๐ (๐ฏ๐ฏ.๐ฒ%), ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐๐ (๐ฐ๐ฎ.๐ฑ๐ฎ%), asserting that none of the candidates satisfied the required percentage for proclamation. Therefore, none of the candidates reached the required percentage.
๐๐๐๐ง:
The voter turnout data per college is accurate and, admittedly, lower than the expected level of student participation on the election day. However, the claim regarding the 50% + 1 requirement is based on a misunderstanding of the provision and is therefore inaccurate.
The canvassing and proclamation conducted by the COMSELECโOrani Campus yesterday, July 20, 2026, 6:30 PM, were carried out in accordance with the provisions of the BPSU COMSELEC Code, specifically Article XII, Section 2 (2.3). This provision clearly states that any candidate running unopposed for any position ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฑ๐ฌ% + ๐ญ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฎ๐น ๐ป๐๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฑ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป.
It is important to emphasize that the 50% + 1 requirement is computed solely from the total number of actual voters who cast their ballots during the election, ๐ก๐ข๐ง ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐น๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ด๐ฒ.
๐๐
๐ฎ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ:
Suppose there are 100 registered voters, but only 20 students actually cast their votes during the election. In this case, the voter turnout is:
20 รท 100 = 20%
This means that the voter turnout is 20%, which is well below 50%.
Now, assume that 15 out of the 20 actual voters voted for Candidate A. Candidate A's vote share is therefore:
15 รท 20 = 75%
This means that Candidate A received 75% of the votes actually cast, which is more than the required 50% + 1 for an unopposed candidate.
This example illustrates that voter turnout and the 50% + 1 requirement are two distinct concepts.
Voter turnout refers to the percentage of registered voters who actually participated in the election.
The 50% + 1 requirement, on the other hand, is computed solely based on the total number of votes actually cast, not on the total number of registered voters or the voter turnout percentage.
Therefore, even if the voter turnout is below 50%, an unopposed candidate may still obtain 50% + 1 of the actual votes cast and may therefore be validly proclaimed the winner in accordance with the provisions of the BPSU COMELEC Code.
