Following the General Elections 2025 (GE2025), abstentions prevailed over several candidates, and voter turnout remained a concern. To avoid such an outcome in General Elections 2026 (GE2026), the University Student Government (USG) Commission on Elections (Comelec) has prepared new measures to widen its reach before the next polls open.
For USG Comelec Chairperson Sam Lambino, the previous elections became more than a count of winning candidates. The results reflected what students expected from the process, especially when many chose to abstain.
“The previous general elections have shown us what students are actually looking for,” Lambino told The LaSallian, adding that Comelec had considered abstention a “legal entity” during that election.
Recent amendments to the Omnibus Election Code (OEC) aim to reflect this student sentiment. The revisions require candidates to win against abstention in any election, recognizing it as a threshold that reflects voter sentiment rather than a choice to be dismissed after election day.
This change also affects how vacancies are handled after the polls, a process that became a point of contention after GE2025 when Sebastian Araneta (III, AB-POM) filed a case against the Legislative Assembly and Comelec over post-election appointments to positions left vacant by abstention. Lambino said the amended code now treats abstention as a trigger for special elections.
Reading voter fatigue
Beyond abstention, Comelec also noted how students talked about elections outside of campaigns. Lambino said online sentiments pointed to voter apathy and weaker interest in campus polls.
“They’re not really as eager anymore in participating in democratic processes such as the elections,” she observed, noting that some students viewed the ballots as having “the same system, but [with] different faces.”
Comelec also drew from Vox Populi, its new student sentiment initiative launched last March, to better understand how voter fatigue may be tied to Lasallians’ perception of the choices presented to them.
“Mas gusto nila na there are more independent candidates instead of candidates running under the same banner all the time,” Lambino shared.
(They prefer having…)
Broadening access
These findings shaped Comelec’s preparations for this year’s general elections. Lambino said the commission is turning to election ambassadors, a new mechanism under the OEC of 2026, to help disseminate election information.
The commission is also coordinating with the Council of Student Organizations and other student groups, so that information on candidates, voting, and election reminders will go beyond its own platforms.
“Kasi ang approach na namin ngayon is not only us trying to be more vocal every [election] we want it in a university-wide approach,” Lambino shared.
(Our approach now is not only about being more vocal every election.)
Another planned effort is a Comelec website that would serve as a central source for candidate information. Lambino said students could view candidates, platforms, and credentials beyond campaign materials.
“Regardless if a candidate belongs to a political party or would they wish to run independently, there is a fair playing field for everybody in terms of information,” she said.
Behind the ballot
While Comelec is looking at reforms from the side of election administration, former USG Chief Legislator and former Santugon sa Tawag ng Panahon Secretary General Zachari Quiambao (III, AB-POM) saw GE2025’s results as a broader judgment on the student government.
“They really wanted a stronger USG, [a] more student-centered USG,” Quiambao said.
According to Quiambao, disengagement stemmed from fatigue toward political parties and the institution. Repeated political slogans, unresolved controversies, and frustrations over the lack of connection shaped how Lasallians viewed the polls.
For him, the challenge for GE2026 lies not only in election reforms, but also in whether these student leaders can regain trust through concrete results and action.
He urged political parties to detach from campaign rhetoric and traditions that students tend to associate with dirty politics. He also expressed that parties should choose candidates with proper credentials and new platforms to begin with.
Quiambao also cautioned Lasalians from disengaging entirely. For him, abstention is an essential democratic choice, but voting remains necessary to shape student representation.
“Go ahead and abstain if ayaw mo talaga yung kandidato. Pero don’t ride with the hate train,” Quiambao said.
(…if you really do not like the candidate. But…)
“Plus at the end of the day, may uupo at uupo dyan eh. And so it’s better na students yung mamimili kung sino nandon,” he added.
(At the end of the day, someone will take the position. It is better that students choose who gets to sit there.)
In seeking sincerity
These concerns over trust also surfaced among students who chose abstention themselves. For two students who abstained from multiple positions in GE2025, sincerity and visibility continue to matter most.
“The candidates […] felt like they were only there during the elections. You didn’t really feel them before that,” Khalel San Diego (II, BSChE) said.
For San Diego, prior involvement within the Lasallian community mattered more than campaign promises. Transparency was also key, especially when unclear information and rumors complicated voter decisions.
Ariana* (II, AB-ISE), who also voted to abstain in GE2025, shared similar frustrations over sincerity and repetitive platforms. She said candidate platforms tend to echo what has been said before.
“Are they connected with what the students really need from the USG?” said Ariana.
Like San Diego, Ariana also expressed a preference for special elections over appointments when abstention prevails, arguing that it may create opportunities for lesser-known but capable student leaders.
It remains a question whether Comelec can create reforms that will cure the Lasallian body’s voter fatigue. But as preparations for GE2026 continue, the next elections may ultimately test whether existing systems can make way for student leaders to rebuild confidence among a student body that has grown weary of campus politics.
*Names with asterisks (*) are pseudonyms