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February 15, 2025 | 12:52pm
A worker verifies printed ballots which will be used for the May 9 national and local elections, at the National Printing Office in Quezon City, suburban Manila on March 15, 2022.
AFP / Jam Sta. Rosa
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has printed nearly 30 million ballots for the May 2025 national and local elections, accounting for 41% of the total 72 million needed.
Comelec chairman George Garcia said on Saturday, February 15, that they are on track to complete printing by March 19, with verification finishing by April 14.
Garcia explained that each ballot goes through a two-step quality check.
First, more than 1,000 personnel at the National Printing Office (NPO) manually inspect the ballots for defects like smudges, incorrect cuts or color issues. Those that pass are then scanned by a machine for further verification.
Around 7% to 8% of the ballots are usually rejected due to defects, he added.
Garcia said the poll body ensures that each precinct gets the exact number of ballots it needs.
"Hindi kasi pupuwede na ipapadala namin sa bawat presinto kahit kulang ‘yan ng dalawa o tatlo," Garcia said on Dobol B TV.
(We cannot send ballots to a precinct if even two or three are missing.)
All election materials will be delivered to provincial treasurers three weeks before the May 12 elections.
