Section 161Sec./Art. 161

Official Ballots. - Ballots for national and local offices shall be uniform throughout the Philippines and shall be provided at public expense. They shall be of uniform size and color; shall be printed in a letter press method of printing on paper with water-mark. Said ballots shall be in the shape of a strip with stubs and coupons containing the detachable numbers of the ballots, and shall bear at the top on the middle portion thereof the cost of arms of the Republic of the Philippines, the words "Official Ballot," the name of the city or the municipality or municipal district and province in which the election is held, the date of the election, the following notice: "Fill out this ballot secretly inside the booth. Do not put any distinctive mark in any part of this ballot," and the precinct number.

Each ballot shall contain the names of all offices to be voted for in the election, allowing opposite the name of each office, sufficient space or spaces within which the voter may write the name or names of the individual candidate voted by him.

There shall not be anything on the reverse side of the ballot. There shall be in the coupon a space for the thumbmark of the voter.

Ballots in cities, municipalities, and municipal districts where Arabic is of general use, shall have each of the titles of offices to be voted printed in Arabic in addition to and immediately below the English title.

Notwithstanding the preceding provisions of this section, the Commission on Elections is hereby empowered to prescribe a different form of ballot with the use or adoption of the latest technological and electronic devices as authorized under paragraph (e) of Section three hereof.

No official ballot, forms for election return, precinct book of voters shall be delivered to the boards of inspectors earlier than the first hour of election day: Provided, however, That the Commission, after notice to the political parties and the candidates, and hearing may, for special reasons to be stated in the resolution justifying earlier delivery, authorize the delivery of said official ballots, precinct books of voters and forms for election return to the board of inspectors of any particular precinct at an earlier date.