AFTER a busy 2024 preparing for the 2025 National and Local Elections (NLE), the Commission on Elections said it is ready to begin printing ballots in Laguna today, January 6, 2025.
On Sunday, the commission, led by Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco, gave the media a sneak peek inside its printing operations for the final ballots that will be used in #BotoNgKabataan2025.
The Ballots
Laudiangco additionally showed the finalization of the ballot face’s template and the technical operation of Miru’s counting machinery. As per the spokesperson, Comelec has created 1,667 ballot face templates for automated voting machines (ACMs).
“Kada munisipyo magkakaiba ng balota at mayroong mga munisipyo at siyudad na multiple councilor districts. So accounted na rin ‘yung 1,667 in all,” Laudiangco said in an interview with a media.
“Ganoon karaming balota ang naka-imprenta ng Comelec. May distinct serial number kada balota… ‘Yun ang last stage bago tayo mag-imprenta ng balota,” he added.
The ballot consists of 66 senators and 155 party-lists. The Comelec did not include the names of rejected or deemed nuisance candidates. The ACMs will only be activated and synced using the USBs designated to them.
“Dapat magsi-sync sila kasi ang gine-generate na face templates, yung gine-generate na balota ni NPO, magkaka-sync lahat,” the Comelec spokesperson went on to explain.
ACM Testing
Aside from ballot printing, Comelec will distribute these equipment to other polling precincts across the country, where the electoral board will train and familiarize themselves with the processes.
On December 2, Comelec Region IV-B (MIMAROPA) began their touring campaign for voter education and ACM demonstrations. One of these was hosted at the ECJ Building in Intramuros, Manila.
This provided several Filipino voters, particularly first-time voters, with a notion and firsthand experience of how the machine operates, considering that these machines have intricate features.
The MIMAROPA Regional Election Director, Atty. Gloria Ramos-Petallo, stated that the poll body’s ACM demonstration program will continue until January 30, 2025, bringing knowledge closer to Filipino voters.
