The printing of ballots for the 2025 National and Local Elections (NLE) and BARMM Parliamentary Elections resumed today, January 27, after the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) and the National Printing Office signed a Memorandum of Agreement earlier this morning.
Previously, the printing of ballots was delayed for three weeks as a result of Temporary Restraining Orders (TRO) issued by the Supreme Court, which led to adjustments in the candidate lineup on the ballots.
LOOK: @COMELEC @ChairGEGarcia, binisita ang NPO para sa muling pagimprenta ng balota; April 14 deadline mananatili | @dzrh5 Val Gonzales, DZRH News pic.twitter.com/eiMnO43cls
— DZRH NEWS (@dzrhnews) January 27, 2025
COMELEC stated that the commission aims to print a minimum of 1.5 million ballots per day, with plans to increase the daily output as election day approaches
Furthermore, COMELEC Chairman George Erwin Garcia mentioned that they will no longer remove candidates' names from the ballot, even if those candidates withdraw their candidacies.
He further stated that the COMELEC will simply declare any votes for withdrawn candidates as 'stray'.
A total of 6 million printed ballots, amounting to P132 million, were discarded after the Supreme Court issued a TRO on the disqualification of several candidates.
Meanwhile, the COMELEC assured that the printing of ballots will be completed before the scheduled elections in May.
