Overseas voting for Filipino nationals starts at embassy today

Filipino expatriates in the Kingdom can cast their votes at the Philippine Embassy starting today as the country goes to polls to elect their senators and representatives. The embassy, in a statement issued, stated yesterday that it has completed the final testing and sealing of the Vote Counting Machines (VCMs). “Filipinos in the Kingdom, who have registered with the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), can cast their votes in the mid-term national elections wherein they will select 12 senators and one party list representative.”

The overseas voting in the Kingdom and across the globe will continue until May 13, 2019. “We are glad to inform everyone that all the Vote Counting Machines (VCMs) are working perfectly and we have more VCMs on standby just in case of VCM malfunctions to ensure a smooth conduct of the overseas voting in Bahrain,” Philippine Ambassador Alfonso A Ver said. The embassy will be open on April 18 and 19 as well, it is learnt. The Philippine Embassy in the Kingdom has registered more than 25,000 Filipino overseas voters.

“There are 60,000 Filipinos in the Kingdom and we are encouraging everyone to come to the embassy and vote. To those who have registered and can’t find their names on the COMELEC List of Overseas Voters, please come and see me, so we can look into your case,” he said. Registered voters can cast their votes from April 13 until May 13, 2019, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, however, on the last day (May 13), the voting will be held from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm. The voting centre will be set up on the ground floor at the Philippine Embassy in Al Mahooz area.

“To vote all registered overseas voters in Bahrain are advised to bring the Philippine passport or Civil ID, or any Philippine government-issued ID such as UMID, SSS ID, Driver’s Licence, PRC ID, OWWA or iDOLE, Voter’s ID and other valid Ids,” the ambassador added.