Comelec completes printing of 59M ballots

Even as it awaits the signing of the law postponing the barangay and youth polls, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has completed the printing of more than 59 million official ballots.

Data from the poll body show that the National Printing Office (NPO) has finished printing 59,578,346 ballots for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.

“The ballots for Luzon and the Visayas—59.5 million—are already finished,” said Comelec Chair Andres Bautista.

Of this figure, 43,741,986 ballots are for the barangay elections while 15,836,360 ballots are for the SK elections.

The Comelec, through the NPO, began the printing of the ballots on Aug. 9 and finished the task on Sept. 30.

Out of prudence, the poll body did not slow down preparations for the barangay and youth polls despite the passage of a bill postponing the elections to May 2018.

President Duterte has yet to sign the law deferring the Oct. 23 barangay and SK elections to next year.

Proceed as scheduled

On his Twitter account, Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez reiterated that the elections would proceed as scheduled.

“As long as the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections have not yet been officially postponed, the elections are still a go,” Jimenez said.

Bautista, meanwhile, said the Comelec would discuss what to do with the official ballots, given that the law postponing the elections had not yet been signed by the President.

“It will be discussed during the en banc meeting on Tuesday,” he said.