The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will introduce in the upcoming Bangsamoro Parliamentary Election a first in Philippine elections as ballots will carry the photos of candidates and logos of political parties to help voters identify their choices.

Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said Saturday the inclusion of candidate images and party symbols is among the innovations being introduced for the 14 September polls, which will be the first parliamentary election in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

He said, “This is the first election in our country where, here in Bangsamoro, the candidates’ pictures will appear on the ballot, and the logos of political parties will also be included on the ballot.”

The measure is intended to make voting easier for the electorate, particularly in a new electoral system where voters will choose district representatives, regional political parties, and sectoral representatives.

The poll body is currently finalizing the ballot design and the official list of candidates, which will also be made available through the poll body’s website.

Garcia added that the election will require voters to familiarize themselves with a wider range of choices compared with previous elections.

For the party vote, voters will choose one among 13 regional political parties and Garcia explained that parties must secure at least 2.5 percent of the total votes to qualify for parliamentary seats.

He said the innovations being introduced in the Bangsamoro election are part of efforts to improve voter experience and strengthen the conduct of the historic polls.