Comelec rolls out new ballots, pens for BARMM polls

Adjustments will be introduced by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to its election materials and procedures for the 14 September Bangsamoro Parliamentary Election, using lessons from previous elections to improve the voting process, Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said Saturday.

The poll chief said simulation exercises were conducted over the weekend to test election equipment and assess the changes implemented ahead of election day.

Part of the adjustments is the use of thicker ballot paper, which will now have a thickness of 160 GSM (grams per square meter), compared with the 100 GSM paper used during the 2025 elections.

Garcia said, “The paper that we are using now is thicker. It is already 160 GSM. During the 2025 elections, it was only 100 GSM.”

The poll body also changed the type of marking pen to one with oil-based ink, which dries faster and is expected to improve the scanning and counting process.

“The pen is different now. Before, it seemed that after three seconds, the ink was still not completely dry. Now, after two to three seconds, it dries immediately because we are already using oil-based ink,” Garcia said.

The poll body has imposed a stricter requirement on ballot shading, mandating at least a 25 percent shading level to ensure that votes are properly read by automated counting machines.

Garcia said the adjustments address concerns encountered during the 2025 elections and are also part of preparations for the 2028 national and local elections.

He said the simulation exercises are meant to ensure that the updated systems, equipment, and election materials function properly before voters cast their ballots in the historic Bangsamoro polls.