by Gene Alcantara
With the overseas voting in full swing and the May 9 deadline approaching fast, overseas Filipinos are advised to be vigilant and careful in voting following controversial photos that went viral in social media.
The most recent was an edited ballot from New Zealand where Leni Robredo’s name was supposed to have been erased, meant to sow confusion and panic among Robredo supporters.
The Office for Overseas Voting at COMELEC in a statement said they are trying “to identify the persons responsible for editing the photo and for spreading said photo on social media”.
Another one was a ballot with circles next to Robredo and Pangilinan’s names shaded correctly, but people are told to cross out other names of Marcos candidates, an effort seen to invalidate the ballot.
Some Marcos Jr and Duterte supporters post poll surveys showing votes for the Unity team are leading.
For example, a known die hard Duterte supporter and others, posted a photo of a ballot supposedly from Norway, and others posted exit polls that indicate the Unity team are ahead in other countries.
Another unknown poster said that in Singapore ballots are pre-shaded.
It is an election offense to take photographs of the actual ballots, and the Philippine Embassies are not supposed to release any voting figures until after the election is over by 9th May 2022.
In UK, a notorious Englishman who is a die hard Duterte supporter is interfering in the Philippine elections by campaigning for Marcos and Duterte, the latest being a posted photograph of his visit to Iglesia ni Cristo and pushing for his candidates.
These are all illegal activities and should be ignored but reported to the Philippine Embassy concerned as well as to COMELEC OFOV -- https://www.facebook.com/overseasvotingph by sending a message and the necessary ‘resibo’ or screenshot and
other evidence.
Unlawful intervention by foreigners in Philippine elections is a violation of the Omnibus Election Code - Article X (Approved: 03 December 1985) on CAMPAIGN AND ELECTION PROPAGANDA --
“Sec. 81. Intervention of foreigners. - It shall be unlawful for any foreigner, whether judicial or natural person, to aid any candidate or political party, directly or indirectly, or take part in or influence in any manner any election, or to contribute or make any expenditure in connection with any election campaign or partisan political activity.”
In London, this reporter received his ballot sent to him by the Philippine Embassy at 10 am on 22nd April 2022, 12 days after the overseas election commenced.
The ballot came in a good stiff brown envelope with the correct 1st Class Large Stamp for a large envelope, so there is no chance of it being undelivered for lack of postage.
The contents included the actual ballot paper, a self-addressed stamped envelope for returning the ballot to the Embassy, a leaflet of instructions, and a small sticky seal for sealing the envelope.
The ballot paper (long printed carton folded in 3) was intact with the candidates for President (× 10 names), Vice President (× 9 names) and Senators (× 64 names) on the front page, and Party Lists (× 178 names) on the back page.
To vote properly, follow the instructions carefully.
Voters should shade the circle in black ink against their candidates of choice -- 1 each only for President, Vice President, and Party List, and a maximum of 12 for Senators.
Overvoting will invalidate your choice for the position, although undervoting is allowed that is, for Senators you may choose one or up to 12 names. And for Party Lists you are allowed to choose only one.
Handle the ballot paper carefully. Any creases or tear might mean your ballot getting stuck in the Vote Counting Machine in which case it will be set aside by the SBEI team.
The large white stiff envelope for sending back your ballot to the Philippine Embassy already has a 1st Class Large Stamp also, meaning, it is sufficient for your ballot to reach the Embassy. (Note that the big brown envelope delivered to you has the same type of postage stamp).
You do not have to spend any extra money on this, as Comelec has already provided the right funds to ensure delivery and encourage overseas voting participation.
Note that on the bottom left of the white envelope you will see a Precinct number ie 93090001. This Precinct number is also reflected on your ballot paper (top right hand corner).
There are 17 Precincts in the UK and Ireland with a Main SD Card and Backup SD Card for each one (93090001 to 93090017). So all 30, 487 registered voters (29,189 voters in the UK, and 1,298 voters in Ireland), are split into different precincts as the SD Cards can only contain up to 2,000 votes.
Each precinct is allocated with numbered white plastic box (ballot box) sealed on 4 sides with numbered Comelec zip ties.
These 4 seals stay throughout the election period and this is monitored by Poll Watchers, representing the majority and minor parties and independent candidates, to ensure there is no tampering or fraudulent activity taking place.
The only numbered seal or zip tie removed and replaced every Monday and Thursday is the one on top which covers the slit holes through which your ballots go when scanned/read by the Vote Counting Machines or VCMs.
The Embassy has 2 active VCMs, split between the two SBEI teams, plus a spare VCM in case of either of the first 2 VCMs breaking down.
Once you have voted and closed the white envelope, affix the small Comelec paper seal on the back, and then stick it into the post box.
Ballots received by the Embassy are then sorted by the SBRCG by Precinct and goes to the SBEI team.
All 3 SBEI officers per team sign each ballot, open them one by one, then the bunch of ballots is placed in a folder and fed/scanned one by one into the VCM.
After the ballot has been fed/scanned, a small VCM receipt comes out with the votes printed on it and this is placed in a separate container for each Precinct (white ballot box).
In manual or personal voting, the voter can see this VCM receipt to check that their votes are reflected correctly.
Unfortunately in postal voting, nobody can check the VCM receipt (except the SBEI team), not even the Poll Watchers who are not allowed to take photos of the ballots or the emerging votes.
Poll Watchers saw the system working in testing mode. However, now that the 30 day overseas voting is on going, they just have to trust in the SBEI teams (indeed in the whole Embassy as custodians of the ballot boxes and paraphernalia).
DELIVERING YOUR BALLOT PERSONALLY
If you have time and decide to submit your ballot personally to the Embassy, that is not advised.
No one can receive it personally (unless it’s an unusual case).
Instead you will be directed by the person manning the Consulate doors to drop it in a post box attached to the black front doors at No. 6 Suffolk Street, London SW1.
There is a room on the ground floor at No. 10 where they deal with undelivered mail to voters for whatever reason.
They also seem to deal with stray envelopes meant for say UAE voters (don't ask me how this happened, but there you are).
DUPLICATE BALLOTS?
If you happen to receive two ballots in your name, please use only one.
Using both is election offence.
In this room at No. 10 Suffolk Street I was assisted by an officer to write an affidavit explaining why I was holding two ballots addressed to my spouse.
Somehow she was sent two, one with just her mother's surname and the other including her father's surname.
Being a dutiful citizen she completed one properly and then cancelled one ballot so it cannot be used and I delivered both personally to the Embassy.
It is our duty to ensure the integrity of the system when we see something out of kilter.
STILL NOT RECEIVED YOUR BALLOTS?
If you have not yet received your ballots until now (considering they were sent before the start of the overseas election period 10 April to 9 May), check the News section of the Embassy website to see if your name is included in ballots that had been returned to them due to wrong address or perhaps you have moved and forgot to update your record there. If you just have not received it, then please contact the Embassy by email asap to follow up.
The email address is:
Otherwise, the fastest way to deal with it is to visit No. 10 Suffolk Street, complete an affidavit, and receive another ballot which you could complete then and there, and stick it in the postbox at No. 6 Suffolk Street. You need to get this done as soon as possible.
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For any other issues or to report any observed election offences, please let us know.
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