Some 84,000 uniformed personnel, government officials and employees, and members of the media are set to cast their votes ahead of the May 9 elections as the local absentee voting begins on Wednesday.
Local absentee voting is the provision under the law that allows those who will perform poll duties or those who will not be able to vote due to their election coverage to cast their ballots ahead of the actual election day.
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Only government officials and employees, including members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police, as well as members of the media and their technical and support staff are allowed by law to avail of local absentee voting.
If you are one of those who were allowed to participate in the local absentee voting, here's what you need to know:
When and where to vote?
The local absentee voting for the May 9 elections will be held from April 27 to 29, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
As to the venue, government officials and employees and members of the AFP and PNP will vote in the area designated by their heads.
"For PNP, AFP, and other government offices, it is the head of office who will conduct the voting, he will be the one to distribute to the local absentee voters their ballots, then the voters will accomplish the ballots," said Comelec Commissioner George Erwin Garcia.
For media members, the voting will take place at the Comelec where they filed their applications to avail of the local absentee voting.
How to vote?
Unlike on the election day itself where voting will be automated, local absentee voting will be manual, which means the voter will have to write down the name of the candidate they want to vote for.
Here's the step-by-step process:
- Fill-up the ballot secretly by writing the names of the candidates for president, vice president, senators and party-list representative of your choice.
- Imprint your right thumbmark on the "ballot coupon" at the bottom part of the ballot.
- Detach the coupon from the ballot.
- Fold and place the accomplished ballot coupon inside the inner envelope.
- Seal inner envelope with a paper seal.
- Place the sealed inner envelope together with the detached coupon inside the outer envelope.
- Seal outer envelope with a paper seal.
- Write your name and affix your signature on the spaces provided for in the outer envelope.
- Put envelope inside the ballot box.
- Sign proper space on the List of Approved Applicants for Local Absentee Voting with Minutes of Voting.
Counting of votes
While qualified individuals for local absentee voting can vote in advance, their votes will be counted only on May 9 at 7 p.m. at the office of the Bureau of Treasury in Palacio Del Gobernador, Intramuros, Manila, Garcia said.
All candidates will also be notified to send their representatives to observe the counting and canvassing of votes.
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