QUEZON CITY, (PIA) — The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Chairman Atty. George Erwin Garcia announced that 68,542,546 ballots for the upcoming May 12 national and local elections have been successfully printed, overcoming initial delays caused by a Supreme Court restraining order.
“Natapos namin [ito] noong Sabado, exactly 48 days after noong January 27 na printing ng balota,” Garcia said, confirming the completion of the printing process. He added that ballot verification is currently underway and is expected to conclude by April 20 to 21.
Garcia detailed the deployment schedule for the ballots, which will begin in the second week of April, with a focus on remote areas such as the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region and CARAGA.
Meanwhile, ballots for the National Capital Region (NCR), Region III, and Region IV will be distributed last due to their proximity to the capital.
“Bago matapos ang buwan ng Abril, distributed na sa buong bansa ang lahat ng eleksyon paraphernalia upang mapaghandaan ang final testing and sealing,” he explained, meaning that all election materials will be distributed nationwide before the end of April in preparation for the final testing and sealing.
The final testing and sealing of vote counting machines will take place five days before the election, allowing actual voters to cast test votes to ensure that all machines and election materials are functioning correctly.
To facilitate smooth transmission of election results, the winning provider, iOne, has assessed signal strengths from major telecommunications companies, including SMART, GLOBE, DITO, and PLDT.
For areas with inadequate signal coverage, however, Starlink will be utilized.
Garcia reassured the public that all election materials will be in place at least one week before the elections to prevent any disruptions during the final testing phase. (JCO/PIA-NCR)
