Ballots sent out to overseas voters for May elections

An absentee voter cast her vote at Bayanihan Kennedy Town Centre Polling Centre, Hong Kong. CONTRIBUTED FILE PHOTO

SAN FRANCISCO—The Philippine Commission on Elections (Comelec) has begun mailing the ballot packets directly to registered voters abroad, the Philippine consulate here announced.

The consulate is asking registered voters to carefully go over the instructions on how to use the ballots for the Senate and Party-List elections and mail them to the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco as soon as possible.

The election period for the 2013 Philippine Senatorial and Party List Elections will commence on April 13, 2013. All finished ballots should be received by the Philippine Consulate before 4:00 a.m. of May 13, 2013, which coincides with the closing of the election period in the Philippines (7:00 p.m. May 13, 2013, Philippine time).

Consul General Marciano A. Paynor Jr. also announced that upon representations made by the Global Filipino Diaspora Council, the Comelec has allowed registered voters who failed to vote during the 2007 and 2010 elections to vote this year.

Under the current Comelec guidelines, these voters should “manifest their intention to vote” for the 2013 elections by presenting themselves at the Philippine Consulate General and signing the voters list. They are allowed to do so vote until 4:00 a.m. of May 13, 2013.

“Our kababayans are once again given this opportunity to participate in a major political exercise in the Philippines,” said Paynor. “We call on all registered Overseas Voters to exercise their right to vote and take an active part in selecting our country’s leaders.”

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