The Commission on Elections is ready to use the official ballots initially printed for the deferred October 2017 barangay and youth elections for this year’s polls.
In Comelec Resolution No. 10248 promulgated on Monday, the poll body said it would be using the printed ballots, as well as other election forms, to save on public funds and government resources.
The barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections are scheduled to be held on May 14, 2018 after two deferments under President Duterte’s administration.
The Comelec said voters in Metro Manila, Luzon and the Visayas woould be using the 59,578,346 official ballots printed from August 9 to September 30 last year.
Meanwhile, additional ballots, accountable and non-accountable forms will also be printed for those who signed up as voters during the November 6 to November 30, 2017 voters’ registration period.
The Comelec noted that there were 843,588 applications for voter registration in November.
However, the local election registration boards have yet to verify, certify and seal the list of voters on February 7.
“To avoid confusion, these new ballots will bear October 23, 2017 as the date of the elections,” the Comelec said in a statement.
On the other hand, the ballots, accountable and non-accountable forms to be printed for Mindanao will indicate ‘May 14, 2018’ as Election Day.
The Omnibus Election Code does not prescribe the form and contents of the official ballots. It does not require that the date of the election be specified on the ballots.
Earlier, no official ballots and other forms have been printed for Mindanao after the postponement of the polls there due to the imposition of martial law in relation to the Marawi City siege.