Comelec bares ballot template for Eleksyon 2025

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) unveiled one of the ballot face templates to be used for the 2025 Midterm Elections. This template will serve as the basis for the final printed ballots.

According to a Sunday report by Darlene Cay on 24 Oras Weekend, the candidate names on the ballots will be printed in bold font to enhance visibility. The design will also feature improved color schemes and security marks to ensure the integrity of the ballots.

Comelec announced that 1,667 different ballot templates have been finalized, with the printing of over 70 million ballots set to begin on Monday, January 6.

“Pagkatapos ni law department within the day i-check, ibabalik yan sa ating ITD group. Ano ang next step? iiimplement na lahat, encode na lahat, iserialize na lahat. Yun na yung merong serial number. May distinct and specific serial number na kada balota,” Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco said.

(After the law department conducts its checks within the day, the ballots will be returned to our IT department. The next steps involve implementing the design, encoding, and serializing the ballots, ensuring each one has a distinct and specific serial number.)

Candidates and voters can view the ballot templates on the Comelec official website.

Disqualified or nuisance candidates have been removed from the templates, provided the Comelec's decision is final and executory.

However, the names of candidates with temporary restraining orders, pending motions for reconsideration, or unresolved decisions from the Comelec En Banc will still appear on the ballot.

Laudiangco noted that priority would be given to overseas and local absentee voting.

The finalized templates will be transported from Comelec’s Biñan warehouse to the National Printing Office on Monday morning.

Comelec aims to produce one million ballots daily, ensuring the number of printed ballots matches the number of registered voters.

Meanwhile, preparations are underway for around 4,000 automated counting machines, which will be deployed across the country for training poll workers.

Laudiangco emphasized that poll workers must complete training, pass a test, and be certified by the Department of Science and Technology before serving in the elections. — Mariel Celine Serquiña/DVM, GMA Integrated News