Comelec: 20 million Gen Z voters expected in 2025 polls

About 20 million Filipinos who belong to Generation Z are expected to cast their votes in the 2025 midterm polls, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Those born between 1997 and 2012 fall into the Gen Z category.

"Kung ang pagbabasehan natin yung Barangay and SK (Sangguniang Kabataan) Elections, sabihin na natin isama nating yung 15 to 17 years old, ang botante ay almost 24 million. More or less, nag eexpect tayo ng mga hanggang 20 million members of Gen Z na mga kabataan," Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia told the media on Saturday.

(If we base it on the number from the Barangay and SK Elections, let's say we include those 15 to 17 years old back then, the number of Gen Z voters will be almost 24 million. More or less, we're expecting 20 million Gen Z voters.)

There were over 65 million registered voters in the 2022 elections, according to Nico Waje's report on ''24 Oras Weekend.''

Based on the data acquired by the GMA Integrated News Research, 13 million or 19% were from Gen Z.

Garcia said the youth vote is important.

"Yung votes nila will matter. Ganyan kahalaga ang boto nila sapagkat sila ang magdidikta ng kinabukasan ng ating bayan," he said.

(Their votes will matter. That's how important their votes are since they would dictate the future of the country.)

Political analyst Edna Co shared the same view.

"Paparami ang bilang ng mga Gen Z voters. Npakahalaga ng papel at bilang ng mga Gen Z voters. So, that will be game-changing. Ito yung magiging puwedeng magbago ng political landscape natin," Co said in Waje's report.

(The number of Gen Z voters is increasing. Their role and number are important. So, that will be game-changing. This may change our political landscape.)

"Ang Gen Z voters ay ang tinatawag na 'the digital generation.' Sila mismo hindi lang taga-tanggap ng information, sila mismo puwedeng maging actors mismo and shapers ng mga pamamaraan ng teknolohiya, yung information na puwedeng dalhin through digital technology. Sila rin yung educators mismo ng iba pang age level voters," Co said.

(The Gen Z voters are called "the digital generations." They don't easily accept information. They themselves can be actors and shapers of technology and the information that can be brought through digital technology. They can also be educators.)

Co said around one-third of the members of the House of Representatives are younger politicians.

"That’s also a significant development kasi iba ang kaisipan ng mga bata kaysa doon sa mga traditional na politiko," Co said.

(That’s also a significant development because they think differently from the older generations.)

Even though there are still seven months until the elections, first-time voters like Annie Agon and Raven Racelis are already excited to cast their ballots.

"Excited din naman na i-exercise ‘yung isa sa mga democratic rights natin bilang isang Pilipino," Agon said.

(I'm excited to practice one of our democratic rights as a Filipino.)

"Ako rin siyempre excited na bumoto," Racelis said.

(I'm also excited to cast my votes.)

Agon said candidates that deserve to be elected possess critical thinking abilities, are not acting in their own self-interest, and are not motivated by money or power. —VBL, GMA Integrated News