THE official ballots for the May 13 elections were delivered to Bacolod City, Wednesday morning, May 8.

City Treasurer Giovanni Balalilhe said they received hundreds of official ballots, inks and other election paraphernalia for Bacolod City.

“We are expecting 353 official ballots for Bacolod City,” he said.

The official ballots and other election paraphernalia were received by the City Treasurer’s Office and were placed at Bacolod Arts and Youth Center (Bayscenter).

The delivery of official ballots were also witnessed by some personnel of Bacolod City candidates along with the National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections, the Commission on Elections (Comelec), Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, and Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO).

Balalihe said it’s their responsibility to keep the official ballots and other election paraphernalia except on the vote counting machines (VCM) and Voter Registration Verification Machines which will be kept by the Comelec.

He said he requested the deployment of more personnel from BCPO to secure the election paraphernalia at Bayscenter.

Balalilhe also asked an augmentation from the city’s budget office, accounting and city assessor’s office to help them to secure and deliver the election paraphernalia.

The City Treasurer’s Office will distribute the official ballots on various polling precincts on May 13 at 2 a.m.

Meanwhile, Acting Bacolod election registrar Ann Janette Lamban said they are also expecting the delivery of VCM this week.

She said they will hold the testing and sealing of the VCM in all polling precincts on May 10.