With as many as 39 candidates in the presidential race , ballot paper is expected to be the longest ever with 27 inches in length and five inches in width if it is designed in a single column format, a source said .   

 A source from the Department of Government Printer said only the Election Commission should decide whether it is single column or double column .   

According to the same source , the ballot paper will be 13.5 inches in length and width in case of a double column ballot paper .   

“This is the longest ballot paper ever to be issued to voters at a presidential poll. There have been ballot papers longer than the expected one in the past, as far general elections were concerned ,”the source said.   

The government is expected to incur a higher cost for printing materials with security features for long ballot papers .   

At the last presidential election , the ballot paper was around 25 inches long .