21 Negros Occ LGUs ask for early delivery of official ballots, supplies

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – Twenty-one of the 31 local government units in Negros Occidental requested the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for the early delivery of official ballots and supplies for the May 9 elections.

Atty. Robert Salazar, provincial election officer, said Monday that the areas are Bacolod City, Calatrava, Don Salvador Benedicto, Escalante City, San Carlos City, Toboso, Cadiz City, Sagay City, EB Magalona, Murcia, Victorias City, Binalbagan, Himamaylan City, Hinigaran, Isabela, Moises Padilla, Cauayan, Hinoba-an, Ilog, Kabankalan City, and Sipalay City.

Salazar said the rules specify that the distribution of official ballots, forms and other election paraphernalia to the voting centers is on election day.

But a Comelec resolution allows for the early delivery of supplies and forms.

Salazar said Cauayan has the most number of barangays with early deliveries of election supplies and forms at 25.

Moises Padilla and Hinoba-an had one barangay each.

Among the reasons cited for the early delivery is the volume of supplies they need, Salazar said adding that “it is a practical reason as precincts open at 6am on election day.”

“We have ordered our election officers to coordinate with their city and municipal treasurers to conduct ballot verification to ensure the ballots that were delivered is for specific precincts. Ballots and vote counting machines are precinct specific. The ballots assigned to a precinct cannot be used in other precincts,” Salazar said.