Overseas Voting for 2016 Philippine Elections

Based on the website of the Philippine Commission on Elections (Comelec) (comelec.gov.ph), 1,376,067 Filipinos or holder of another citizenship can participate in the May 9 elections.

Source: SBS Filipino

Here is the list of  top 30 countries  of eligible voters with Australia as the 23^rd country with the most number of overseas voters.

Source: Philippine Comelec

Philippine Consul to NSW Marford Angeles discusses the step-by-step guide for  voting in Sydney which has 5035 eligible voters (including New Caledonia and Vanuatu.  The Philippine embassy in Canberra has 3378 voters)

Here is the list of voters in the Philippine Embassy in Canberra (for Australia other than NSW)

https://www.philembassy.org.au/

A. As a registered voter, you will be receiving an election  kit from the Philippine  Commissions on  Elections (COMELEC)

It contains:

1. List of candidates – 6 for presidents (including the name of the late Roy Señares,  6 for vice presidents,  50 for Senators, and 115 sectoral list

Source: SBS Filipino

     2.    An instruction sheet for voters

Source: SBS Filipino

     3. Small envelope containing the ballot

Source: SBS Filipino

    4. Election ballot

Source: SBS Filipino

     5. Postage seal

Source: SBS Filipino

B.  Once  you receive the election kit, write down the selected candidates: 1 - President,  1-Vice- President, 12 - Senators and 1- Sectoral representatives. You can opt not to elect for a certain position by drawing a line (-----------------) on the space or spaces in case of Senators

C. After writing down the candidates, mark the ballot with your thumb (you have to provide your own ink, unfortunately), then put the ballot inside the provided small envelope,  enclose the envelope and attach the postage seal on the seal flap.

D. Send the ballot envelope via mail, providing your own stamp, or  hand-carry it to the Philippine Consulate in Sydney.

The deadline for submission is until 7 pm, 09 May.

You have now voted as an overseas voter!

In the last overseas voting in 2013, out of 700,000 registered voters, only 118,000 voted.

Marford Angeles said that many have not yet received their election kit for various reasons, including change of address, wrong address,  and voter returning to the Philippines.

If you are a registered voter and have not received an election kit, you may be one of those included in the list of returned election kit. For complete list, see the website of the Philippine consulate http://www.philippineconsulate.com.au/

Here is  a youtube video  of Marford Angeles explaining the step-by-step guide on overseas election: