The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday began printing more than 92 million ballots for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) scheduled for next year.
In an interview at the National Printing Office (NPO) in Quezon City, Comelec Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia said this is the first time the poll body will print such a large volume of ballots.
‘Based on our data, around 92 to 93 million ballots will be printed.This is the first time that the Comelec and NPO will print this many ballots,’ Garcia said.
Of the total number, about 70 million will be used for the barangay polls, while 23 million will be allotted for the SK elections.
Garcia said the printing and verification process will take around 45 days to two months to ensure that only verified and good-quality ballots are used for the November 2026 polls.
He explained that the Comelec decided to begin printing early to allow enough time to resolve any possible technical or logistical issues before election season.
The commission had also already received the paper stock to be used for the BSKE, prompting them to proceed with printing to avoid discoloration or smudges from long storage.
‘We made sure to start printing early so that we are fully prepared by next year,’ Garcia added. ‘Everyone should remember that next year, Comelec will conduct two elections-the Bangsamoro Parliament elections around March and the barangay and SK elections in November.’
Meanwhile, the Comelec will also open a seven-month voter registration period from October 20 to May 18, 2026 in all regions nationwide, except in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
The poll body earlier said it expects the number of registered BSKE voters-currently between 92 and 93 million-to increase by over one million during the registration period.
To recall, President Ferdinand Marcos signed Republic Act No. 12232 in August, extending the term of barangay and SK officials from three to four years and resetting the December 1, 2025 elections to November 2, 2026.