MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews / 26 May) – A total of 170,993 people, or 23 percent of those who registered with the Commission on Elections in Bukidnon, did not vote on May 13, or roughly one in five with the province’s registered voters of 749,524.
Carlito L. Ravelo, Bukidnon’s acting provincial election officer, said voter turnout was at 77.19 percent, which is higher than the projected turnout of 70 percent.
Bukidnon has 4,686 precincts clustered into 1,063, Ravelo said.
The highest turnout was in the municipality of Sumilao at 87.87 percent. The lowest – vote-rich Valencia City at 61.62 percent. A total of 46,209 voters skipped the polling places in Valencia.
Next lowest is the town of Kitaotao, where only 16,395 of the 23,813 registered voters, or 68.85 percent, went out to cast their ballots.
After Sumilao town, the next highest turnout was posted in Kadingilan town, 87 percent; Libona, 86.74 percent, and Malitbog, 86.44 percent.
Malaybalay City, the provincial capital, posted an 82.54 percent voter turnout or 67,903 actually voted out of 82,268 registered voters.
Overall, there are more male registered voters in the province but a higher percentage of women went to polling places and voted on May 13. Of the 382,747 male registered voters, only 291,997 or 76.29 percent actually voted. On the other hand, of the 366,777 female registered voters, only 286,534 or 78.12 percent actually voted.
In Bukidnon’s 464 barangays, most the villages posted average of 70 to 85 percent voter turnout but there were clustered precincts that were almost ignored by voters.
In East Dalurong, a remote village in Kitaotao town, only 312 of 701 voters or 44.5 percent actually voted. In Nala, only 171 voters or 44 percent of 388 voted.
In Napaliko village, also in Kitaotao, only 213 or 51.7 percent of 412 voters actually voted in a total of 13 precincts. In Sagundanon village, only 267 or 48 percent of 557 voters actually voted.
In Sinuda, home of the Federation of Matigasulog-Manobo Tribal Councils, there was a precinct, 0075A, where only 94 or 47 percent of 200 actually voted. Kitaotao posted a 68.83-percent voter turnout.
There were a number of precincts around the province that posted 100-percent voter turnout but they were all “daughter precincts” or those with three to five registered voters only.
The one in Balaoro, Kadingilan town which posted 100 percent voter turnout, is noteworthy. All of its 99 male registered voters and 85 female voters actually voted.
Kadingilan town posted an 80.92-percent turnout.
The lowest turnout at the precinct level so far was noted in Quezon town. There were precincts with a measly 17-percent voter turnout.