Handle ballots with care – Comelec

February 15, 2025 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Official ballots to be used in the May 12 midterm elections must be securely packed to ensure compatibility with voting machines, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said at a press briefing on Thursday.

The ballots must be properly sealed and stored in suitable containers to prevent environmental factors from altering their size and appearance, Comelec Chairman George Garcia said.

“After the ballots are verified, they should be vacuum-sealed and afterwards, stored in an appropriate box to protect it from the environment, from the temperature (that may affect its size and appearance),” he said.

The poll chief warned that improper handling could cause ballots to expand, leading to machine rejection.

“Once you insert a ballot that has expanded, the machine will instantly reject it. The ballot has the tendency to get moist or to expand because of heat,” said Garcia.

“The (original) ballot size has been programmed in such a way that it will be recognized by the machine. If the machine won’t be able to detect it, the ballot will be rejected,” he added.

Garcia also highlighted Comelec’s security measures, saying that both the commission and the National Printing Office have embedded “secret markings” in addition to time stamps.

“That is the reason why it would only take two seconds for the machine to accept the ballot, and there will be 14 seconds lapse that the machine will use to verify the secret markings on the paper,” explained Garcia.

Calling the ballot the “number one accountable form during elections,” Garcia stressed the need for extreme care in its handling.

According to the Comelec, over 27 million official ballots for the May elections have already been printed.

With 36 percent of the total required ballots completed, Garcia expressed confidence that printing could be finished a month ahead of the April 14 target date.