The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is expressing optimism about finishing the printing of around 70 million ballots for the upcoming May 2025 elections earlier than planned. This confidence stems from the utilization of four printing machines from the National Printing Office (NPO), which will work alongside the two HP PageWide Advantage 2200 printers provided by Miru Systems.
Comelec Chairperson George Garcia highlighted that the NPO machines are compatible with the task at hand, noting that despite a minor feature difference, they can effectively contribute to the printing process. In an online interview, Garcia mentioned that the integration of these machines would lead to an earlier completion of ballot printing.
The HP printers, which were delivered by Miru in October, are currently located at the NPO office in Quezon City. The effectiveness of these machines will be assessed during the initial seven to ten days of printing, which is scheduled to start on January 6.
As part of their preparations for the 2025 elections, Comelec plans to begin the ballot printing next month. The election commission had previously set a target to complete the printing by March.