Comelec kicks off ballot printing

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will begin printing more than 90 million ballots Monday for the synchronized Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) set for 2 November 2026.

Printing will start at 1 p.m. at the National Printing Office (NPO) in Quezon City and will cover both official ballots and accountable forms for the village and youth council elections, the agency said in a news release.

Comelec chairperson George Garcia called the operation historic.

“It is the first time in the history of the Comelec and NPO that we will print more than 90 million ballots,” Garcia said. “This is the first time we are printing these many ballots.”

The total includes 69 million ballots for the barangay elections and 23 million for the SK elections.

Garcia said Comelec decided to begin printing more than a year before the election date to ensure adequate preparation time and to address any technical or logistical issues that might arise.

“We want to make sure that if there will be any problems, at least our printing, including verification, will be completed as soon as possible,” he said.

The final number of ballots could reach 95 million, as voter registration is scheduled to resume 20 October and run until 18 May 2026.