MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) intends to complete the printing of ballots for the May 12 national and local elections by April 14, despite recent setbacks.
Comelec chairman George Garcia emphasized that this timeline is crucial for the timely distribution of ballots to polling precincts across the nation ahead of the May 12 midterm elections.
“Our original timeline remains April 14, and we must adhere to it. Should any adjustments be necessary, we will address them later. For now, it is imperative that we complete the printing by April 14, regardless of the circumstances,” Garcia said in an interview on GMA’s Unang Balita.
“The ballots are not flawless; there will inevitably be defective ones that will require reprinting at the specific precincts where issues arise. Additionally, the most challenging aspect is the distribution of election materials to various regions, particularly in remote areas,” he added.
Comelec resumes the printing of official ballots for the May 2025 National and Local Elections on Monday, aiming to increase production to 1.5 million ballots per day to meet the April 14 deadline.
Garcia noted that six machines will be employed to print a total of 73 million ballots for the midterm elections, following a three-week delay caused by various complications.
Prior to the postponement of printing due to changes mandated by temporary restraining orders from the Supreme Court and other factors, the commission had been on track with its plans.
“The 73 million ballots will not only go through the machines, but through the eyes of our personnel to find out if their size is right, the color is right, the names of the candidates are in the right order, and if the circles before the names of the candidates are correct,” Garcia said.
Six million printed ballots, amounting to around P132 million, were earlier put to waste following the issuance of a temporary restraining order by SC against the disqualification of several local bets in the upcoming elections./PN
