Comelec: Final testing, sealing of VCMs underway for overseas voting

By TINA PANGANIBAN-PEREZ, GMA News
Filipino overseas absentee voters will start voting this Saturday.
Director Elaiza David of the Comelec Office for Overseas Voting said Filipinos abroad are given ample time to vote: from April 13 until election day in the Philippines on May 13, 2019.
In preparation, some foreign posts that will have automated voting have conducted final testing and sealing of vote counting machines.
“Marami na ang nakapag-start and some, ongoing pa rin. So far, maganda naman yung result ng FTS. Kung titingnan, may konting glitches sa SD card pero very, very minimal,” David told GMA News.
She added that contingency measures are in place in case machines break down or SD cards fail. “Yung sa machine, may contingency naman. And then yung sa SD cards, ang plan naman diyan is makapagpadala rin. Madali lang, ipapadala lang yung SD cards. That would take two to three days,” David explained.
Aside from VCMs, ballots, Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) satellites and other election paraphernalia have also been shipped to voting locations abroad.
At 1,822,115, the number of overseas absentee voters registered for Eleksyon 2019 tops the more than 1.3 million registered for the 2016 presidential polls.
Voter turnout in 2016 was 31 percent, more than 2013’s 16 percent. David attributed the higher turnout to Eleksyon 2016's being a presidential election.
There are four ways to vote overseas: automated personal, automated postal, manual personal, and manual postal.
“For automated personal, personal silang pupunta sa post, whether consul general or embassy, for them to personally accomplish their ballots and feed yung kanilang ballots. For postal na automated, ipapadala sa kanila yung ballots nila. Either i-personally deliver nila 'yon sa post or email back nila,” David explained.
The same process will be observed for areas where voting is manual.
As for seafarers, “Kung personal yung mode of voting kung saan sila naka-register, puwede naman silang pumunta sa post anywhere. Any post. Pero kung postal voting, only in posts where there is an international seaport,” David said.
Votes cast overseas will be canvassed on May 13.
David also said that there will be watchers in embassies to ensure that there will be no cheating and that votes will be counted accurately.
She also called on Filipinos overseas to exercise their right to vote.
“Makilahok sila rito sa parating na eleksyon. Para rin naman 'yon sa kinabukasan ng mga kabataan ngayon. And of course, kahit naman nasa ibang lugar na sila, dapat nandun pa rin yung pagmamahal at concern nila sa ating bansa,” David stressed. — BM, GMA News

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