Comelec suspends ballot printing, other activities after SC TRO

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced Tuesday night that it will be suspending the printing of 2025 national and election ballots amid a Supreme Court (SC) ruling issuing a temporary restraining order (TRO) on the disqualification of candidates including Edgar Erice.

The poll body issued the statement after it conducted an emergency meeting to discuss measures on how to comply with the SC ruling. They then ordered the cessation of printing of official ballots and all related activities at the National Printing Office.

Aside from the suspension, there will also be amendments to the candidates’ database and reprinting of all the affected ballots when the changes to the election management system have already been applied.

There will also be a generation of 1,667 ballot face templates where necessary changes to the numbering of the candidates will take affect.

The trusted build of the online voting and counting system scheduled on 15 January is cancelled, as are the mock elections originally scheduled for 18 January in select areas nationwide.

“While these actions are indeed time consuming and very costly, Comelec fully respects the decision of the Supreme Court, and we recognize these Orders as part of legal processes,” it said.

“We likewise inform the public that while delay is also a necessary consequence, please note that there is no cause for alarm, concern or panic, as the Comelec is fully in control of the situation and will effect the necessary contingency measures to mitigate such,” it added.

The Comelec started printing the 73 million ballots to be used for the midterm elections last 6 January.

The High Court had issued TROs prohibiting the Comelec from disqualifying Erice and Florendo Ritualo for San Juan City’s 1st District council race.

TROs were also granted for Subair Mustapha and Charles Savellano who were declared nuisance candidates, and Chito Balintay after his candidacy application as Zambales governor was not accepted.

The TROs prohibiting the six aspirants to be disqualified means their names have to be included in the official ballots.