The Commissions on Elections (Comelec) said their preparations for the May 2022 polls are still on track.
"Yes, we are (on track). We are still within the allowances that were built into our schedules," Comelec Spokesperson James Jimenez said in a virtual press briefing Monday, Jan. 17.
He said they are just waiting for the ballot face to be released on the said day.
"We are actually waiting for it to be released today. We didn't give a time for the release of the ballot faces...as far as I know there are certain types of ballot faces that have already been cleared. Again, we are looking to make that announcement within the day," said Jimenez.
The poll body was earlier eyeing to start the printing of the official ballots on Jan. 17.
Meanwhile, the name of presidential aspirant Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr, who still has pending cases before the poll body, will still be included in the ballot.
"Yes, the name will still be on the ballot," Jimenez said
Asked what will happen in the event a candidate is disqualified later before the elections, he said, the votes cast for that candidate will be considered "stray."
"If a candidate is disqualified before the elections but after the ballots have been printed, obviously the name remains on the ballot and any vote garnered by that name will be considered stray," said Jimenez.
He also said that if a candidate is filing under a political party, the right of substitution applies which means "the candidate who was disqualified and therefore involuntarily withdrawn will be able to be substituted by a person with the same surname."
"The substitution can be made up to mid-day of election day. At that point a certificate of candidacy (COC) can be filed with the Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs) to show that the substitution has been made," said Jimenez.
In case a substitute bet is fielded, a vote for the said individual will go to the substitute.