The BSKE is postponed, but what happens to all the election preparations?

Floyd Brenz., Philippine Canadian Inquirer
September 26, 2026

Photo Courtesy: Maria Tan

For months, the Commission on Elections had been preparing for one of the country’s biggest grassroots exercises: the 2026 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections.

Ballots were being printed, supplies procured and election activities scheduled.

Now, with the elections postponed, the Comelec is pressing pause.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signed into law the measure moving the November 2, 2026 BSKE to November 2028, prompting the poll body to stop most activities connected to the elections.

That means the scheduled filing of certificates of candidacy from September 28 to October 5 will no longer proceed, along with the succeeding campaign period and other activities in the original election calendar.

But not everything is simply being thrown away.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia said election materials already printed or procured will be secured, stored and preserved for future use. The poll body had already spent around P8 billion on preparations, including ballots and other election supplies.

Some preparations will also continue. The Comelec said the printing of additional ballots, accountable forms and voter lists already underway will be completed, while pending procurement and delivery of certain election supplies will also proceed.

The postponement also changes the rules that would have governed the election period. The Comelec has lifted election-related prohibitions connected to the November 2026 schedule, including restrictions on certain public works and social assistance activities.

For aspiring barangay and SK candidates, however, the immediate consequence is clear: there will be no BSKE campaign season this year.

The next regular elections are now set for November 2028, giving the Comelec more time to preserve the materials already prepared and eventually restart the election process under a new timetable.

The episode also highlights the logistical challenge of preparing for elections before political and legislative decisions are finalized. Just days earlier, the Comelec was still moving ahead with preparations because the November 2026 elections remained the law at the time.

Now, the election machinery is being placed on hold.

For the Comelec, the task is no longer simply preparing for election day. It is about protecting billions of pesos worth of materials and ensuring that months of preparation can still serve a purpose when Filipino voters finally return to the barangay and SK polls in 2028.