MANILA, Philippines- Tinapos na ng Philippine Embassy sa Washington DC ang 30-day online voting period para sa mahigit na 9,000 Filipino sa walong Philippine Foreign Services Posts sa Estados Unidos.
Nakasaad sa kalatas ng embahada na ang online process ay ipinatupad at ito’y “a historic step towards expanding electoral access for Filipinos abroad.”
“This is a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to bring not only our government services—but also the democratic process—closer to Filipinos wherever they are in the world,” ang sinabi ni Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez sa isang kalatas.
“Online voting addresses long-standing challenges faced by our kababayan such as distance, accessibility, and postal delays,” dagdag niya.
Ipinatupad ang voerseas voting noong 2004 at ang proseso ay na-develop, mula sa in-person voting sa embahada sa postal na ini-adopt noong 2019..
“For the first time, registered overseas voters in the United States and the Caribbean were able to securely vote for their senators and party-list representatives online,” ang sinabi ng embahada.
Naging available naman ang multiple channels para sa voter assistance, kabilang na ang technical support at step-by-step guidance para sa mga maga-access sa sistema.
Sa kabilang dako, dalawang Special Boards of Election Inspectors (SBEIs) ng Embahada ang nagtipon para bilangin ang mga boto ng 2,016 Filipino o 6% ng 31,000 registered overseas voters sa ilalim ng hurisdiksyon nito.
Ang Special Board of Canvassers (SBOC) ng Embahada at pinagsamang resulta ng presensya ng mga watchers at election observers upang matiyak ang ‘transparency at accountability’ ng proseso mula sa lahat ng walong Philippine Foreign Services Posts in the United States.
“Out of the 188,519 voters registered across these Posts — from Guam to Washington DC — a total of 9,806 Filipinos cast their digital ballots, reflecting an overall turnout of 5.2 percent,” ayon sa report ng embahada.
“Historically, midterm polls see lower turnout compared to presidential elections,” ang sinabi ni Romualdez.
“But we at the Embassy see this as the beginning of a more accessible, secure, and inclusive way of making sure that the voices of overseas Filipinos are heard. I thank our kababayan who participated and helped us implement this system with integrity and trust,” dagdag niya.
