Comelec suspends ballot printing, disposes six million 'useless' ballots

On Thursday, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) stated it was 'in control of the situation' after suspending ballot printing following a Supreme Court ruling that halted disqualifications of several senatorial candidates and local aspirants.

The Comelec has begun disposing of six million printed ballots rendered 'useless' by the court order, with an inventory process underway to prepare for disposal at their warehouse in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

Comelec chairman George Garcia announced these voided ballots will be inventoried, reported to the Commission on Audit (COA), and eventually shredded, stressing that each ballot costs P22 apiece, totaling around P132 million.

Despite a two-week delay until January 22 in resuming ballot printing after amending their Election Management System, database, and ballot face templates for affected candidates, Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco assured that updated ballots featuring the names of five previously disqualified political aspirants could be available by then.

The suspended ballot printing includes those for national elections, local absentee voting, overseas voting, test ballots, and Bangsamoro elections, marking a historic first in election history due to a high court order.

Despite these challenges, Comelec remains committed to holding the midterm election on May 12 as planned.