Comelec suspends printing of ballots for 2025 polls

COMELEC PRINTING MACHINES / OCTOBER 26, 2024 Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman George Garcia and Comelec Commissioner Ernesto Maceda Jr. during the ceremonial turnover of the printing machines and printing of test ballots for the 2025 National and Local Elections at the NPO in Quezon City on Saturday, October 26, 2024. INQUIRER PHOTO / NINO JESUS ORBETA

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will be suspending the printing of ballots for the 2025 elections.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Comelec said that it is one of the measures to be implemented in line with the temporary restraining orders (TROs) issued by the Supreme Court on the same day on five cases in relation to May polls.

The poll body began printing ballots last Monday, January 6, where Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said that around 78 million ballots will be printed.

The Comelec acknowledged that the activities are “indeed time consuming and very costly,”adding that it “fully respects the decision of the Supreme Court.”

“There is no cause for alarm, concern, or panic, as the Comelec is fully in control of the situation and will effect the necessary contingency measures to mitigate such,” it added.

READ: Comelec begins printing of ballots for 2025 polls

Aside from the suspension of printing of ballots, the Comelec said that there will be amendments to the aspirants’ database and reprinting of all the affected ballots when the changes to the database and election management system (EMS) have already been applied.

There will also be generation of 1,667 ballot face templates where necessary changes to the numbering of the aspirants will take effect.

The poll body will also conduct a study to determine if the change in the EMS and database is subject to another trusted build. The trusted build for the online voting and counting system scheduled on Wednesday, January 15, will be cancelled.

The mock elections originally scheduled on Saturday, January 18 in select areas nationwide will also be cancelled.

READ: SC stops disqualification of Caloocan’s Erice from 2025 polls

One of the TROs issued by the High Court prohibited the poll body from disqualifying former Caloocan 2nd District Rep. Edgar Erice from gunning for a seat in the House of Representatives.

In April, Erice asked the Supreme Court to stop the poll body from implementing the contract with Miru Systems, claiming that it violates Republic Act 7369, or the Automated Election Law.