Comelec urges printers to lessen defective ballots

SCRUTINY. Technicians inspect a printing machine for ballots and other forms for the 2025 midterm polls at the National Printing Office in Quezon City on Sept. 24, 2024). South Korean contractor Miru Systems delivered two machines on Sept. 16 and 21. (PNA photo by Joan Bondoc)

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday urged the printers of ballots for the May 2025 polls to lessen the number of defective ballots.

Comelec Chair George Erwin Garcia made the call to the state-owned National Printing Office (NPO) and South Korean election systems provider Miru Systems Co. Ltd. as they both resumed the printing of ballots on Monday.

READ: Comelec ‘partially terminates’ contract with election service provider

“We are urging [ballot printers] to further reduce [wastage],” Garcia said during a press conference after Comelec’s signing of a memorandum of understanding with the NPO in line with its deputization under the poll body.

Garcia said the number of defective ballots for the 2022 polls reached about half a million.

He noted that while vote-counting machines could still read defective ballots, “we have a very high quality standard.”

The Comelec chief said a ballot is considered defective when it has smudges or even “very small” dots and lines.

Miru and NPO are expected to print 72 million ballots before April 14.

Garcia said the Comelec would only pay for “good ballots” while these two firms would shoulder the rejected ones.

Comelec deputized NPO to fast-track the printing of ballots, which was delayed thrice.

The printing process began on Jan. 6 but has since been delayed thrice due to the Supreme Court’s temporary restraining orders which compelled Comelec to add the names of senatorial aspirants it previously declared as nuisance candidates.

READ: Comelec resumes printing of ballots after repeated delays

The Comelec had to discard six million ballots worth P132 million to comply with the high court’s rulings.