Quezon city: The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is on track to finalize the printing of more than two million official ballots for the upcoming Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections (BPE) by September 14, with an estimated timeline of one to two weeks for completion.

According to Philippines News Agency, Comelec Chairperson George Garcia provided updates during a press briefing at the Kick-off Ceremony for the BPE ballots' printing at the National Printing Office in Quezon City. Garcia stated, "We can finish printing the 2.3 million ballots in one to two weeks." He emphasized that while the printing could be completed swiftly, the verification of each ballot would extend the timeline by about three weeks, as each ballot must be meticulously checked.

The project involves printing approximately 2,393,202 official ballots, with a total budget allocation of PHP63 million. Priority is being given to printing ballots destined for the most remote locations first. "We will prioritize the ones for Tawi-Tawi. We will begin with the ballots of the farthest island," Garcia explained.

Additionally, Garcia assured there would be no excess ballots produced, adhering strictly to a one-to-one ratio to prevent any allegations of fraud. "There is the issue of where the excess ballots are being used. If there are 5,212 precincts and each has three excess ballots, that amounts to 15,000 ballots. We don't want any suspicion arising regarding where those excess ballots end up," he remarked, underscoring the meticulous approach being taken to ensure the integrity of the election process.