KALIBO, Aklan (PIA) -- The province of Aklan has registered a total of 418,179 voters who will troop to polling centers on October 30 to cast votes for the new sets of leaders in their respective areas.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec)- Aklan Provincial Office revealed this figure alongside the number of precincts that will be established in the province for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) 2023.

Per the list provided by COMELEC-Aklan, the first five municipalities with a large number of voters for barangay elections are Kalibo with 54,906; followed by Malay with 41,390; 33,850 for New Washington; 33,713 for Ibajay; and Banga with 30,340 voters.

Meanwhile, COMELEC-Aklan said it is all set to hold the BSKE 2023.

Chrispin Raymund Gerardo, COMELEC-Aklan Information Officer and Election Officer of New Washington, Aklan, shared during his guesting in the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) 6 radio program, that the security details, electoral board trainings, deployment of police and documents and accountable forms for the political exercise were already in place.

On the same note, he called on the Aklanons to be ready to choose their leaders for the next three years.

Gerardo also reminded the candidates of the “Dos and Don’ts” in campaigning, particularly on their display or placement of their tarpaulins in common poster areas and at private properties but with permission from the owners.

“They must also adhere to the allowed sizes of their tarpaulins and take note that they only have to spend P5.00 for every voter in their campaigns,” Gerardo stressed.

He also reminded the candidates, as well as the voters that for this year’s political exercise, the government has a “Kontra Bigay Campaign” that aims to minimize, if not totally eradicate, the “cancer” of democracy which is vote-buying and vote-selling.

When a candidate gets caught buying votes, he or she, according to Gerardo, stands to suffer imprisonment and perpetual disqualification from running for elections.

Additionally, the one who sells votes, if caught, will also have corresponding punishments as supported by several laws. (AGP/VGV/PIA Aklan)