Quezon city: The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday initiated the printing of official ballots for the upcoming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) scheduled for November 2026. The commission is optimistic about completing the task by December.

According to Philippines News Agency, Comelec chairperson George Garcia, during an interview at the National Printing Office (NPO) in Quezon City, mentioned that the printing process, along with the verification of ballots, is expected to take "about 45 days or two months at most." Garcia expressed hope that the process would conclude by mid-December, stating that the verification phase is straightforward with the primary concerns being miscuts or discoloration of ballots in manual elections.

For the BSKE, a total of approximately 90 million ballots will be printed by Comelec in collaboration with the NPO. This includes 69 million ballots for barangay elections and 23 million for the Sangguniang Kabataan elections. Garcia emphasized the importance of completing the BSKE ballot printing ahead of schedule to prevent any overlap with the printing of ballots for the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections (BPE), which are also set for next year.

Garcia further noted that the printing for BPE is slated for February. He highlighted the potential challenges of simultaneous printing if the BSKE ballots are delayed, which could complicate the process. The Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections are scheduled to be held no later than March 31, 2026, as per a Supreme Court ruling.