BARMM elections

Comelec Adds Candidate Photos and Party Logos to Bangsamoro Ballot

July 1, 2026 · Joshua S Bariñan

The Commission on Elections will roll out a redesigned ballot and updated voting materials for the first Bangsamoro parliamentary election on September 14. Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said the changes are meant to guide voters through a new system where they choose district, party, and sectoral representatives. The poll body tested the setup through simulated voting in the region.

Comelec Adds Candidate Photos and Party Logos to Bangsamoro Ballot image

The ballot will carry each candidate's photo, and party logos will appear beside the regional parties. Garcia said it is the first Philippine election to print candidate pictures and party logos on the ballot.

Updated Ballot Materials

Comelec will print the September 14 ballots on 160 gsm paper, heavier than the 100 gsm stock used in the 2025 elections. The thicker sheet is meant to hold up better through handling and the counting machines.

The poll body also switched to a pen with oil based ink. Garcia said the ink dries faster, which should help the automated machines read each mark cleanly and cut errors during the count.

The counting machines will register an oval as a vote when at least 25 percent of it is shaded, up from the 15 percent threshold used in past elections.

Why the Redesign

Voters in the region face an unfamiliar ballot. They will select a district representative, a regional political party, and sectoral representatives on the same sheet.

Garcia said the photos and logos give voters a second way to confirm their choice beyond the printed name. The aim is to lower confusion and reduce invalid marks in a place voting for a regional parliament for the first time.

How the Parliament Is Chosen

The Bangsamoro Parliament has 80 members. Forty seats go to regional political parties through a party vote, 32 are filled by district representatives, and 8 are reserved for sectoral representatives.

The vote covers Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, Tawi-Tawi, and Cotabato City, along with special geographic areas made up of barangays in North Cotabato. Sulu is no longer part of the region after a 2025 Supreme Court ruling removed it from Bangsamoro. The election completes the political track of the 2014 peace agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

Testing Before Election Day

Comelec held a mock election on June 27 in several Bangsamoro areas to check the automated election system before the actual polls. The poll body declared the exercise successful, pointing to clean transmission of results, and said it let staff and voters run through the new ballot and materials under real conditions.

Officials said the trials are part of the preparation for the September schedule, which runs ahead of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections set for November 2.

Sources

  • The Manila TimesComelec announcement of candidate photos and party logos on the ballot.
  • The Manila TimesDetails on the 160 gsm paper, oil based pens, and other poll changes.
  • GMA NewsGarcia's statement explaining the redesigned ballot.
  • InquirerCoverage of the candidate photo feature on the ballot.
  • PhilstarReport on the simulated voting held to test the system.
  • Commission on ElectionsOfficial Comelec page for the 2026 BARMM parliamentary polls.
  • BusinessMirrorComelec's adoption of the 25 percent shading rule for the BARMM ballot.
  • RapplerThe law that set the September 14 election date.