POLL BALLOTS PRINTING NEARS 50% COMPLETION – COMELEC

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) reported that the printing of 73 million official ballots for the May 12 midterm elections is almost halfway completed, with 47.48% of ballots printed so far. As of the latest update, 34,235,042 ballots have been printed, with 17.25 million printed by service provider Miru Systems and 16.98 million by the National Printing Office (NPO). Comelec Chairman George Garcia is hopeful that they will reach the 50% milestone soon and complete the printing by March 9 or 10. A total of 37.86 million ballots remain to be printed, with deadlines approaching. Following the printing, the focus will shift to verifying the ballots until April 14.