Comelec Completes Ballot Printing for BARMM Poll

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has completed the printing of 2.3 million ballots for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliamentary election scheduled for September 14. "We were able to finish printing the ballots to be used in the automated elections. The printed ballots just need to undergo verification to check if, when inserted, they will not be rejected by the (voting) machines that will be sent to the Bangsamoro region," Comelec Chairman George Garcia said in a radio interview. Garcia earlier said the printing of ballots would take only one week, but the verification would take around three weeks. The Comelec spent P63 million for ballot printing. Garcia said there will be no excess ballot and the ratio would be one ballot to one voter. For the voting to finish early, the Comelec has allotted only 600 voters per precinct. "The elections will push through on Sept. 14. We are now in the thick of preparations," Garcia said. Beginning on the first day of the election period on July 15, a gun ban was enforced and 157 checkpoints were put up in 105 towns and two cities in the region. At least 27 areas were tagged under the “red” category, which Garcia said indicates serious threats posed by communist rebels and other threat groups. "Right now, the situation is manageable and our AFP and PNP, together with the PCG, are in full control. We are doing monitoring on a weekly basis. Every week we will report if there are changes, or if there is a need to subject an area under Comelec control, or to change an area’s category," Garcia said, referring to the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police and the Philippine Coast Guard. This election marks the first full parliamentary election in the BARMM, following a transition period after the regional elections in 2022. It is seen as a crucial step towards establishing peace, stability, and self-governance in the region.