Comelec: Over 63% of ballots for 2025 elections printed
SCRUTINY. Technicians inspect a printing machine for ballots and other forms for the 2025 midterm polls at the National Printing Office in Quezon City in this file photo taken on Sept. 24, 2024. PNA / Joan Bondoc
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has printed 63.32 percent of the ballots for the 2025 elections, its chairman George Erwin Garcia said on Tuesday.
Garcia said of the 72,097,420 ballots, at least 45,649,329, or two-thirds, were printed.
This output was reached as the printers from the National Printing Office and South Korean election systems provider Miru reached the record output of 921,262.
They exceeded the initial target to print 800,000 ballots daily.
The Comelec resumed the printing of ballots on Jan. 27.
READ: Comelec resumes printing of ballots after repeated delays
The printing process began on Jan. 6 but has since been delayed thrice due to the Supreme Court’s (SC) temporary restraining orders (TRO) which compel the poll body to add the names of senatorial aspirants it previously declared as nuisance candidates.
READ: Comelec resumes printing of ballots after repeated delays
READ: Comelec urges printers to lessen defective ballots
On Jan. 14, the SC issued a TRO in favor of senatorial aspirant Subair Mustapha.
The printing of over six million ballots already began, but the Comelec had to discard them since they did not contain the names of Mustapha, which cost the Comelec P132 million.
The printing of ballots including the name of Mustapha was supposed to be done on Jan. 22.
However, on Jan. 21, the SC issued another TRO compelling the Comelec to put Norman Mangusin’s name (also known as Francis Leo Marcos) on the ballot.
In Novemebr 2024, the Comelec declared Mangusin a nuisance candidate, reversing the poll body ruling in 2021 when it allowed him to run for 2022 polls.
READ: Two Marcoses on 2025 election ballots as ex-nuisance bet uses stage name
Mangusin, however, later withdrew his Senate bid, leading to the third printing delay.
Because of repeated delays, the Comelec ordered the NPO to help Miru in fulfilling the printing of more than 72 million ballots to reach the April 14 deadline.
READ: Comelec ‘partially terminates’ contract with election service provider
