Comelec Plans to Resume Ballot Printing on January 22

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is set to restart the printing of ballots for the upcoming May 12 midterm elections on January 22. This decision comes after a temporary halt in production due to a Supreme Court order affecting the eligibility of five candidates. John Rex Laudiangco, the spokesperson for Comelec, mentioned in a recent interview that the process of ballot printing is complex and involves several stages. He anticipates that production can recommence by the middle of next week. The printing will continue at the National Printing Office located in Quezon City. Before resuming, Comelec must update the election management system (EMS), along with the automated counting machines and the consolidation and canvassing system. Laudiangco emphasized the need for extensive modifications to the EMS. Additionally, Comelec will undertake a new trusted build process in collaboration with their international certification partner, Pro V&V, to create new ballot face templates and serialization. All these steps must be completed prior to restarting the ballot printing. The suspension of ballot printing was triggered by five temporary restraining orders from the Supreme Court, which impacted Comelec’s decisions on candidate disqualifications. As a result, six million previously printed ballots must be destroyed. On the same day as the interview, Comelec began transferring these ballots to a warehouse in Sta. Rosa City, Laguna, for proper disposal.