MANILA – A significant number of Philippine overseas posts are set to adopt the Online Voting and Counting System (OVCS) for the national and local elections scheduled for May 12. According to the final voting modalities announced by the Commission on Elections (Comelec), 77 out of the 93 foreign posts will utilize the OVCS, marking its debut in the upcoming midterm elections. The system is being rolled out by a joint venture between SMS Global Technologies, Inc. and Sequent Tech Inc. Comelec chairperson George Garcia has encouraged overseas Filipinos to participate in the online voting trial, emphasizing the ease of the process. ‘Experience the convenience of online voting to get accustomed to this new method,’ he stated during a recent phone interview. Meanwhile, 16 Philippine embassies and consulates general will employ automated counting machines (ACMs) for voting, located in cities such as Beijing, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Xiamen in China, as well as Dili in Timor Leste, Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea, Yangon in Myanmar, Ankara and Istanbul in Turkiye, Moscow in Russia, Abuja in Nigeria, Beirut in Lebanon, Damascus in Syria, Tehran in Iran, and Tripoli in Libya. These machines will facilitate voting through personal or postal methods. Garcia highlighted the user-friendliness of the ACMs and urged voters not to miss out on the enhanced voting experience. With 1.180 million registered voters eligible for overseas voting, the voting period is set from April 13 to May 12, during which voters will elect 12 senators and one party-list group.
Majority of Philippine Overseas Posts to Implement Online Voting for Upcoming Elections
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