The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) is considering raising the ballot shading threshold for the September 2026 Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections (BPE) from 15 percent to 25 percent in an effort to eliminate confusion and address concerns raised over the current standard.
During the opening of the Hardware Acceptance Test for the Automated Counting Machines (ACMs) that will be used in the September 14 elections, COMELEC Chairperson George Erwin Garcia said the proposal is currently being reviewed by the Commission en banc with the assistance of its technical team.
“The Commission en banc is planning through our technical people to raise the (shading) threshold from 15%, and make it 25%.”
Garcia explained that the move is intended to address criticism and questions surrounding the existing 15-percent threshold.
“Now, we are making it 25% so that there is no more confusion, no more issues about the threshold.”
The shading threshold refers to the minimum portion of the oval on an official ballot that must be shaded for a vote to be recognized and counted by the ACMs.
Aside from the proposed adjustment, Garcia said the poll body is also looking to begin printing official ballots ahead of schedule to allow more time for distribution before election day.
Initially, COMELEC planned to print ballots throughout July and start deployment in August. However, the agency is now targeting the third or last week of June to begin printing, with completion expected by the second week of July.
“Our initial plan is to have the ballot printing throughout July, then we will deploy by August. Now, we are looking at the third or last week of June to start printing. Then, around the second week of July, we will be able to finish.”
The first-ever parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) will involve 2,393,530 registered voters.
Meanwhile, COMELEC has already begun printing ballots that will be used for roadshows and training activities related to the upcoming polls at the National Printing Office.