Comelec: Printing of ballots for BARMM polls can be done in one week

Commission on Elections Chairperson George Erwin Garcia (INQUIRER file photo / NINO JESUS ORBETA)

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday committed to a one-week completion of the printing of the official ballots for the first Bangsamoro Parliamentary elections.

Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said the election body targets to start the printing of 2.3 million ballots, accounting for the same number of voters in the 2025 midterm elections, by the second or third week of August.

“Seven days, because we can print in just a matter of three days the 2.3 [million ballots], the four days will be for verification. We asked our provider in the National Printing Office to not speed up the verification,” Garcia said in an ambush interview when asked of the target printing completion.

READ: 15% shading threshold in ballots remains effective for BARMM polls

Garcia said that double verification of the ballots, using machine and manual verifications, aims to ensure the quality of the ballots to be used. 

Garcia also said that the ballots will undergo a pre-election logic and accuracy test, which will be tested on the actual automated counting machines that will be used in the elections.

Garcia said that after the poll body finishes the verification, it aims to finish the ballot shipment by the end of September.

He noted that the ballots will be distributed first to the provincial treasurers, who will be tasked to delivery the same to municipal treasurers. 

Mock elections

Garcia shared that the mock elections will be conducted in Lanao del Sur and Tawi-Tawi on July 25.

The Comelec started printing around 200,000 ballots for the mock elections, roadshow, and field testing on Monday. 

READ: Comelec starts printing ballots for July 25 BARMM mock polls 

Garcia said that the mock ballots will include photos of fictional candidates to familiarize the voters of the new feature.

He also said that for official candidates, if they fail to submit their images to be included in the ballots by Tuesday, the Comelec will use their images from their certificates of candidacies. 

“We want our constituents in Bangsamoro to be familiarized with their voting with pictures, political parties, and the third feature which is the “none of the above” option.”

He also said that the “none of the above” option in ballots will be the first time in the election history of the country.

The election body on Monday also held the trusted build for the automated election system (AES) that will be used in the parliamentary elections. 

Garcia explained that changes will be made in the source code of the AES due to changes such as the introduction of new features of candidates’ images, political parties’ logos, and the “none of the above” option. /gsg