High voter turnout looms in historic BARMM polls

COTABATO CITY, Philippines - With final preparations in place and heightened security measures across the region, Bangsamoro stakeholders are expressing confidence that Monday's first regular parliamentary elections will be peaceful, orderly and marked by a strong voter's turnout.

The confidence comes as the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao enters the final hours before the September 14 polls, with the Commission on Elections (Comelec), security agencies, local governments and other stakeholders completing their preparations for the historic electoral exercise.

The election will bring more than 2.3 million registered Bangsamoro voters to the polls to elect the region's first regular Parliament, a major milestone in the transition from the appointed Bangsamoro Transition Authority to an elected parliamentary government.

Comelec has said it is targeting a voter turnout of at least 80%, citing the high level of public interest observed during its voter-information and preparatory activities across the region.