The ballots of the 1,946,639 registered voters of Negros Occidental and Bacolod City that arrived Wednesday night will be distributed to the offices of the town and city treasurers for safekeeping this week, Acting Provincial Elections Supervisor, Roberto Salazar, said Thursday, April 28.
The ballots that arrived at the BREDCO port in container vans from Manila at 9 p.m. Wednesday were brought to the Negros Occidental Food Terminal Market at the North Capitol Road in Bacolod City on Thursday morning for safekeeping, he said.
They are being secured by the Philippine National Police under the supervision of the Comelec, while being segregated for dispatch to the towns and cities, Salazar said.
The town and city treasurers are the custodians of the accountable election forms, he said.
The PNP and Army will provide the security during the delivery of the ballots, Salazar said.
The Vote Counting Machines (VCMs) will be distributed to the Negros Occidental towns and cities for testing and sealing on May 7.
The Bacolod Comelec has asked that the VCMs for the 450 clustered precincts in the city be distributed on May 6 to give them enough time for testing and sealing, Salazar said.*