Comelec starts printing automated ballots for May 9 polls
Printing of AES ballots for the May 9, 2022 National and Local Elections started at approximately 11:27 A.M on 23 January 2022, at the National Printing Office (NPO). COMELEC/Facebook
MANILA, Philippines — The National Printing Office has started printing the automated election ballots that will be used for the May 2022 national and local elections.
The printing of some 67 million ballots to be used for the automated election system (AES) commenced after a virtual walkthrough by Commission on Election (Comelec) officials to inspect the ballot printers at the NPO.
“Printing of official ballots for the 2022 National and Local Elections began at approximately 11:27 AM today, 23 January 2022, at the National Printing Office,” Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said in a text message to reporters on Sunday.
Earlier, the Comelec proceeded with the printing of some 220,000 manual ballots but without the names of candidates. This, despite rulings issued by the Supreme Court that resulted in the delays in the printing of ballots.
The poll body had intended to use the “manual ballots” for around 60,000 local absentee voters, 79,000 overseas voters and 86,000 voters in 63 barangays in North Cotabato that joined the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Manual ballots are not preprinted with the candidates’ names unlike the ballots used in the automated elections.
Ballot printing for BARMM, absentee voting
Automated ballots to be used for the BARMM elections also kicked off on Sunday, January 23, said Jimenez, adding that the printing of ballots will begin with the ballots for Lanao del Sur.
“Printing will start with the ballots for Lanao del Sur, numbering 685,643 ballots. The total number of BARMM ballots to be printed is 2,588,193,” added Jimenez.
He added that the printing of the manual local absentee voting (LAV) and overseas absentee voting ballots for the May 9 elections were already completed.
Manual ballots do not have preprinted candidate names, the poll body official recently said.
The printing of manual ballots started on January 20 with 60,000 LAV ballots.
The LAV ballots will be allotted for government officials, police and military officials and personnel, and media members who registered as local absentee voters.
The Comelec then printed about 79,000 manual ballots for overseas voters.
