Prepares for Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections by Comelec
DIGGING OUT OLD YELLOW BOXES: Comelec's Preparations for the 2025 Manual Elections
Get ready for some election dust, mate! The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has commenced the digging up of over a thousand yellow ballot boxes from their warehouses, located in Mandaue City and Cebu City, in anticipation for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) set to)}\nogocio-on-the-move: (ogocio-on-the-move Free Press)*
Whew,. Those same old boxes that saw action during the 2019-2023 barangay elections are now under the watch of the City Treasurer's Office in Mandaue City. But as required, they're now being handed over to the local Comelec office for a thorough inspection and evaluation.
"Yo, we're checkin' these boxes for any damages. The good ones'll get a cleanin' and a fresh paint job via the Department of General Services (DGS), while the busted or ethereal ones'll get recycled," said Jacquelyn Reuyan, Election Assistant II of Comelec Mandaue.
Why the Need for Thousands of Ballot Boxes?
Yeah, you heard that right – thousands of sunny yellow boxes. And it's all due to our manual voting process, babes. In a manual electoral system, each precinct gets its very own ballot box, and voters take the liberty to jot down the names of their choices.
Contrarily, automated voting uses smart counting machines (ACMs), and precincts are often grouped together, like three or four sharing a single machine and ballot box.
- When it comes to manual voting, a single yellow ballot box serves a single precinct. Typically, serving around 200 to 250 voters, with smaller precincts since it takes a while for folks to write names. Nevertheless, precinct clustering might still occur, depending on the number of voters registered in each barangay.
Where's Our Current Ballot Box Stockpile?
Comelec Mandaue is currently assessing whether their existing ballot box stockpile will suffice or if there is a need to beg for more from the national office in Manila.
Meanwhile, in Cebu City, the Comelec has also initiated preparations. Ambongan Aguilar, the North District Election Officer, informs us that their yellow ballot boxes are still tucked away at the DGS warehouse at the South Road Properties (SRP).. An inventory will soon be underway, in collaboration with the City Treasurer's Office, to determine the number of boxes current in their inventory and their usability in the coming polls.
Once certified fit for use, the yellow boxes will receive a sprucing up courtesy of the DGS before making their grand entrance on the polling day!
In other news, the official filing period for Certificates of Candidacy (COC) for the BSKE will run from October 1 to 7, 2025. Watch this space, as things are just gettin' hot!
The yellow ballot boxes from the 2019-2023 barangay elections, now in the custody of the City Treasurer's Office in Mandaue City, are being prepared for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) in 2025.
Comelec Mandaue is currently evaluating whether their existing ballot box stockpile will suffice for the upcoming elections or if they need to request more from the national office in Manila.
In parallel, preparations are underway in Cebu City. The Comelec has begun inventorying their yellow ballot boxes stored at the DGS warehouse at the South Road Properties (SRP), collaborating with the City Treasurer's Office to assess their usability for the upcoming polls.
