Comelec races against time to shorten 2.5-foot ballot for RP polls

With just four months to go before Election Day, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is still figuring out how to shorten the ballots to be used in the country’s first nationwide automated polls in May. Comelec spokesman James Arthur Jimenez on Sunday said they are trying to compress the names of the candidates because the official ballot might measure nearly 2.5 feet long. “Ang magpapahaba sa balota ay ang mga pangalan ng party-list groups. Ginagawan namin ng paraan ang lalo pang pagpapaikli nito. (Siguro pwede ang) short form or acronym lang, at lalagyan ng numerong katumbas (It is the list of prospective party lists that is the main cause of the long ballot. We are finding ways to shorten it. We may just use acronyms, or assign numbers to them)," Jimenez said in an interview on dzBB radio. He said the present ballot measures a “minimum" of 26 inches or slightly over two feet, but a backup ballot design measures up to 29 inches, or slightly shorter than 2.5 feet. Each ballot will include the names of 10 presidential bets, eight vice presidential candidates, 62 senatorial bets and 144 party-list groups. “Twenty-six inches ang pinakamahaba (at) may backup ballot design na aabot ng 29 (The ballots will be at least 26 inches long and a backup ballot design is about 29 inches long)," he said. The Comelec is under pressure to ensure the country’s first nationwide automated elections are conducted in an orderly and credible manner.- LBG, GMANews.TV