Consulates start feeding filled overseas ballots into vote-counting machines

The Special Ballot Reception and Custody Group (SBRCG) at the San Francisco Philippine Consulate receives ballots that were either mailed in or dropped off at the Consulate. CONTRIBUTED

SAN FRANCISCO – The feeding of overseas ballot here for the May 9 Philippine elections started on Monday, April 11, Thursday, April 14 at the designated rooms at the Philippine Center Building on Sutter Street.

Similar feedings have also begun in other Philippine diplomatic posts across the U.S. and Canada.

The SF Consulate’s Special Board of Election Inspectors (SBEI) carried out the ballot feeding without any technical glitch or delay. Two accredited poll watchers and an accredited member of the media observed the process. Continuous ballot feeding is held at 9:00 a.m. every Monday and Thursday until  May 9.

The SF Consulate’s SBEI conducts ballot feeding every Mondays and Thursdays at 9 a.m., Pacific Time. SBEI members prepare minutes of the ballot feeding as a poll watcher looks on. CONTRIBUTED

The Special Ballot Reception and Custody Group (SBRCG) of the consulate has been receiving mailed or dropped off ballots since the start of the voting period on  April 10.

The diplomatic post has been continuously mailing  postal voting packets to the 47,711 registered voters in its jurisdiction. Thus far, it has mailed 90 percent of the total number of its postal voting packets.

Before mailing the postal voting packets, the overseas voters on the COMELEC Certified List of Voters must be verified and addresses updated upon the voter’s request, according to Consul General Neil Ferrer,

“We are working double time to ensure that all remaining postal voting packets of registered overseas voters within our jurisdiction are sent out before the end of this week,” said Ferrer.

Toronto Consul Mary Grace Villamayor (left) and Consul Rodney Jonas L. Sumague (right), Chairpersons of the Consulate General’s two Special Board of Election Inspectors (SBEI) initialize the Vote Counting Machines (VCM). WEBSITE

Voters are reminded to write their name on the ballot envelope, affix their signature on the same, and seal the ballot envelope using the provided paper seal.

Those who have received their ballots are advised to fill these out and send them back to the Consulate as soon as possible via mail or drop-off at the Consulate lobby. The ballots should be received by the close of elections on 9 May 2022 at 4 a.m., Pacific Time.

The Consulate has received return-to-sender postal voting packets for overseas voters who have incomplete or no address. Overseas voters may check the Consulate website: https://pcgsanfrancisco.org/ov-advisory-overseas-voters-with-no-incomplete-address-changed-address/  on the next steps.

Registered Filipino overseas voters are reminded to check the Consulate’s website and social media platforms for announcements on Overseas Voting. “Our Filipino American community can check our website: pcgsanfrancisco.org and our social media platforms: https://www.facebook.com/PHinSF/, https://twitter.com/phlinsf , Instagram: @phlinsf, for updates on the conduct of the Philippine national elections,” he said.

Email for Overseas Voters’ Concerns: [email protected]