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

Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said Saturday that the inclusion of candidate photos and party logos 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 under the 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 on the Comelec 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 of 13 regional political parties. 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 the voter experience and strengthen the conduct of the historic polls.