Comelec targets to start printing of 2025 NLE ballots by December

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is eyeing to start the printing of the official ballots for the 2025 national and local elections (NLE) by the second week of December, its chairperson said Thursday. 

Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia said the National Printing Office (NPO) will facilitate the printing of 73 million ballots to be used for the mid-term elections next year. 

“Sa 73 million, di kasama ang Bangsamoro d'un sapagkat di kasama sa kontrata ng Miru System ang Bangsamoro ballots. Ang kasama lang ay sa national and local elections kaya separate na kontrata ang 3 million na para sa Bangsamoro,” Garcia told reporters on the sidelines of the signing of the memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the Comelec, NPO, and South Korean firm Miru Systems Inc. 

(The Bangsamoro ballots were not part of the 73 million because it is not part of our contract with Miru. Only national and local elections were included, which is why there's a separate contract for the 3 million allocated for Bangsamoro.)

“Ang printing, hopefully, makapag-start tayo ng second week ng December sapagkat wala nang substitution of candidates,” he said. 

(The printing, hopefully, will start by the second week of December since there will be no substitution of candidates.)

The Comelec, NPO, and Miru signed a tripartite agreement in Intramuros, Manila for the provision of printing services for the official ballots for next year’s elections.  The NPO will lead the printing while Miru will provide the machines and papers for the ballots. 

According to Garcia, at least 500,000 ballots are targeted to be printed per day using 95 gsm paper. Th printed ballots will be stored in poll body warehouse in Biñan, Laguna while waiting for the elections proceedings. 

Upon delivery, the election paraphernalia will be under the custody of the treasury offices of local government units (LGUs). 

“Sa ating batas nakalagay na ang mga balota kasama ang ilang election paraphernalia na ginagamit ay under the custody of treasurer’s office…Hindi ang Comelec local ang may jurisdiction at may hawak at may safekeeping ng mga election paraphernalia,” said Garcia. 

(According to our law, the ballots, along with some election paraphernalia, are under the custody of the treasurer's office... It's not the local Comelec that has jurisdiction and safekeeping of the election paraphernalia.)

“Napakadaming secret markings na nilagay sa balota. Kasama na may QR code siya. Precinct specific din ang balota. Ibig sabihin, ang balota sa isang presinto ay hindi pwede gamitin sa kabilang presinto at sa kabilang makina. Ang balotang ‘yan ay magagamit lang sa makina na assigned sa precinct kung san assigned din ang balota,” he said. 

(There are so many secret markings on the ballots. They even have QR codes. The ballots are also precinct-specific. This means that the ballots from one precinct cannot be used in another precinct or machine. Those ballots can only be used on the specific machine and precinct assigned to it.)

“At the same time,  may makikita na watermarks, 'di lamang seal ng Comelec. At maging ang Comelec chairman ay may secret marks sa balota na ako lang makakaalam at director ng NPO,” he added. 

(At the same time, you can see watermarks, not just the Comelec seal. Even the Comelec chairman has secret marks on the ballots that only I and the director of NPO know about.)

NPO

For its part, the NPO said the printing of the ballots will be a “historic” feat as they will use two new machines for the printing activity. 

“The signing of the tripartite agreement will culminate the weeks, and even months of negotiations among the signing parties, still as part of our collective determining and deliberate efforts to ensure that we will have a safe, secure, and readily available ballots for next year’s elections,” said NPO Director Renato Acosta said. 

“Beginning next year, the NPO with the support of the Comelec will be printing successive ballots: one for the regular elections and the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections. We therefore thank the Comelec for its unwavering support to the NPO and its activities,” he said. “We support Miru through this tripartite agreement”. 

The Philippines will hold its mid-term elections in May 2025. —AOL, GMA Integrated News