Comelec to finish reprinting of defective ballots within the week

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is expecting to finish the reprinting of defective ballots for the upcoming polls within this week, commissioner Marlon Casquejo said Wednesday.

“Sa printing ng official ballots tapos na, pero pagkatapos na yung official ballots, dadaan pa sa verification. Sa verification, may mga reprint tayo,” Casquejo told lawmakers during the regular meeting of the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms.

(We're already finished with the printing of the official ballots but after that, they will undergo the verification process. During verification, there will be reprints.)

“Sa ngayon, napag-alaman ko kakaunti na lang yung reprint… we're expecting to finish the reprinting of defective ballots within this week,” he said.

(Right now, I was told that there are only a few reprints... we're expecting to finish the reprinting of defective ballots within this week.)

According to Comelec Commissioner George Garcia on Thursday, 372,878 out of 64,442,616, or 0.58% of the total ballots printed, are defective and will be reprinted.

Comelec Comm George Garcia: Defective ballots for reprinting - 372,878 out of 64,442,616 or 0.58% of the total ballots printed. @gmanews #Eleksyon2022

— Tina PanganibanPerez (@tinapperez) April 21, 2022

Earlier, the poll body announced it had finished the printing of official ballots for the 2022 May Elections on April 2—way ahead of its deadline on April 25.

Comelec Commissioner George Garcia, however, said over 319,000 ballots were "quarantined," with over 178,000 found to be defective.

Defective ballots are those with smudges, wrong lines, colors, improper cut, or other printing errors. It will be disposed of in the presence of election stakeholders.

Ballots to replace the defective ones will be printed. There will be only one ballot for each voter. — BM/KBK, GMA News