Voting Guide for OFWs for 2022 National Elections

Overseas absentee ballots started being cast on April 10 and will continue until Election Day on May 9. No more than the president, vice president, and 12 senators may be chosen by overseas voters, and they must also vote for a party list.

First time since overseas elections started in 2004 that there has been a decrease in the number of Filipinos registered to vote. This is due to the reason that the COVID-19 pandemic forced the repatriation of hundreds of thousands of Filipinos back to their homeland--resulting in a record of 1, 697, 215 registered to vote overseas.

Registered Overseas Voters

Registered overseas voters are any Filipino citizen who is at least eighteen (18) years of age. These are also our kababayans who are or will be abroad during the Overseas Voting Period. You can also be a registered overseas voter if you have reacquired or retained your Philippine citizenship under R.A. 9225 and other Filipino citizens with dual citizenship.

Anyone who is eligible to vote but has not yet done so in the Philippines must submit an Application for Registration as a voter outside the Philippines. If you already have Philippine voter registration, you may apply for certification as an overseas voter by submitting an Application for Certification as an overseas voter.

The Commission on Elections' (Comelec) Certified List of Overseas Voters (CLOV) may be used to verify that you are a registered overseas voter.

Below is a guide on how to cast your vote for overseas voting.

Overseas voting for registered voters election process

To cast their votes, citizens may either go to one of the many Philippine embassies, consulates, or other approved voting locations (personal mode) or wait for their ballots to arrive in the mail (postal mode). There is no option for voters to choose their preferred form of voting so make sure that you verify the mode of voting in your host nation first.

The Philippine Posts are expected to send the ballots to voters as soon as they receive them from the Comelec in regions where postal voting is used. Voters must complete and return their votes quickly in order for them to reach the consulate offices on or by May 9. According to the rule, this should be free of charge.

Also, you must take note that those who want to vote but were not able to register as overseas voters are not permitted to cast their ballots as the voter's registration period already ended last October 14, 2021.

In order to help our Overseas Filipino Workers all around the globe to practice their right this election day, we have compiled some of the advisories and guidelines from embassies and consular offices:

Africa

For Egypt

The voting location will be in Building 11, Street 2 15, Sarayat Maadi, Cairo. You can cast your vote from April 10 to May 8, 2022 from 8 am to 4 pm and on May 9, 2022 from 8 am to 1 pm.

Those living in Egypt may cast their votes in person at the Philippine embassy, which is located in Cairo. On the other hand, the ballots for Ethiopia, Djibouti, Sudan, and Eritrea will be mailed to voters as they are in postal mode.

For South Africa

You can cast your vote from April 10 to May 9, 2022.

Filipinos living in Pretoria South Africa will be able to cast their ballots through mail. You can out a google form by April 10 if you want your votes to be sent to you or you can also pick them up in person. For registered voters, if you have any queries about the election, they may reach the Philippine Embassy in Pretoria at [email protected].

Asia Pacific

For Hong Kong

The voting location will be in Bayanihan Kennedy Town Centre, 55 Victoria Road, Kennedy Town. You can cast your vote from April 10 to May 8, 2022 from 8 am to 5 pm and on May 9, 2022 from 8 am to 7 pm. Even on Hong Kong and Philippine public holidays, the consulate remains open for the election.

Personal voting will be carried out at by the Philippine consulate in Hong Kong. Registered voters will need to visit the Bayanihan Kennedy Town Centre. The consulate will operate on a first-come, first-served basis, with special consideration given to the elderly, those with disabilities, and pregnant women. To locate your precinct number for overseas voters, go to the Voter Search Section when you arrive at the venue then present either your valid Philippine passport or Hong Kong ID. Afterwards, you can now go to the precinct where you're registered to vote and cast it into the vote-counting machines. Also, don't forget to follow the COVID-19 protocols of the Hong Kong government.

For Singapore

The voting location will be in Philippine Embassy, 20 Nassim Road, Singapore 258395. You can cast your vote on April 10, 2022 from 8 am to 6 pm, April 11 to May 8, 2022 from 9 am to 6 pm, and on May 9, 2022 from 9 am to 7 pm.

Personal voting will be carried out by the Philippine Embassy in Singapore. Fill out the pre-verification form online. Verify that your name appears on the CLOV and that all of your contact information is accurate before submitting the online form. Wait for a confirmation email to arrive. Don't make the same request again. Make sure you follow the instructions in the email you received after signing up.

In addition, please also take note of the things that you need to prepare and bring to the embassy:

• Ballpoint pen

• Face mask

• List of your candidates

• Screenshot or printed copy of the confirmation email

• Valid Philippine passport

Before entering the embassy, scan the QR code or use your SafeEntry Check-in token. Before entering the embassy, those who have completed the pre-verification may enter their designated precincts. The Electoral Board (EB)requires that you provide a valid Philippine passport.

On the other hand, for walk-in voters, precinct numbers and voter verification must be obtained at the Voters' Verification Desk.

You can now go to the polling location after you get your ballot, ballot secrecy folder, and marking pen from the EB. Follow the shading instructions on your ballot when voting. Vote-counting machines (VCM) will accept your ballot when you've completed your ballot. Wait for your voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT). Make sure that the names on the receipt match those on the ballot that you voted for. Place your VVPAT in the container provided and avoid loitering around the embassy.

For Taiwan

The voting location for MECO Taipei is in 55 & 57 Zhouzi Street, Neihu District, Taipei while for MECO Kaohsiung you can go to 9F-2, Grand 50 Tower No. 80, Min Tzu 1st Road, Kaohsiung. You can cast your vote on April 10, 2022 from 8 am to 4 pm, April 11 to May 8, 2022 from 9 am to 5 pm, and on May 9, 2022 from 9 am to 7 pm. Registered overseas voters don't need any appointment for their absentee voting.

Based on the city or county in which you live, MECO will be performing both personal and postal voting options.

For personal voting, registered voters need to appear at MECO Taipei or MECO Kaohsiung for overseas voting. The poll clerk will verify your name on the voter list after you provide your name and a valid government-issued ID. To retrieve your vote, see the Chairman of the Special Board of Election Inspectors (SBEI). You should inspect the ballot to see if there are any marks or tears on it. Follow the shading instructions on your ballot when voting. Vote-counting machines (VCM) will accept your ballot after completing your vote. Wait for your voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT). Make sure that the names on the receipt match those on the ballot that you voted for. Place your VVPAT in the container provided.

Meanwhile, for postal voting, voters' postal addresses will be used to deliver the ballots. In order to cast their votes, participants must return the ballots to the embassy as early as possible.

For Thailand

There will be mobile voting at the Philippine embassy in Bangkok on the following days, when voters may drop off completed votes, sealed envelopes contained in the mailing packages, at designated drop boxes in the consular outreach mission:

• April 10 – Phuket

• April 23 – Hat Yai

• April 30 – Chiang Mai

You can cast your vote from April 10 to May 9, 2022, including the Philippines and Thailand holidays, from 8 am to 6 pm Bangkok time.

Postal ballots will be distributed by the Philippine Embassy. Voters who marked "c/o Embassy" in their address during voter registration will be able to collect their votes at the embassy or consular outposts, while those who stated their addresses will get their ballots by mail.

Voters in Phuket, Sarat Thani, Krabi, and Phang-nga may claim their votes during the Novoted Phuket consular outreach mission on April 10 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. due to an "unexpected delay" in the delivery of official ballots to Bangkok. Just makes sure to present an original and photocopy of a valid Philippine passport, Voters’ ID, or seafarers’ book, and your CLOV sequence number that corresponds to your name.

Representatives who will claim ballots on behalf of a registered voter must submit an authorization letter signed by the registered voter and an original copy of the representative's valid Philippine ID. Voting on behalf of constituents is not permitted by representatives. Voters must complete their votes on their own time and outside of the consular outreach venue. There will be no voting booths at the event location.

People may cast their votes till 6 p.m. on April 10 and send them to the Philippine Embassy in Bangkok through the mail. Postal votes should be sent no later than May 2 in order for the Embassy to receive them by 6 pm on May 9.

Ballots will then be loaded into the vote-counting machines on April 11, 14, 18, 21, 25, 28 and from May 2–9.

Europe

For Barcelona and Madrid

The voting location is at the Office of the Philippine Consulate General, Rambla de Catalunya, 33 Planta Principal, 08007 Barcelona, Spain. You can cast your vote on April 10, 2022 from 8 am to 4 pm, April 11 to May 8, 2022 from 9 am to 5 pm including weekends and public holidays, and on May 9, 2022 from 9 am to 1 pm.

Residents of Barcelona and Madrid will vote in person, while the rest of the country votes by mail.

For personal voting, voters need to bring a valid Philippine passport, identification certificate for dual nationals, or a valid voter's ID issued by the Comelec. Meanwhile, for postal voting, ballots are sent to the addresses provided by the voters. In order to cast their votes, participants must return the ballots to the embassy as soon as possible.

For London

You can cast your vote from April 10 to May 9, 2022.

Postal voting will be conducted by the Philippine embassy in London, which includes the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Bailiwick of Jersey, and the Bailiwick of Guernsey.

In order to cast your ballot for the national election, one must send their ballot in via mail, however they may opt to drop it off at the embassy if they like. You can send an email to [email protected] if you are on the CLOV and have not received your ballot by April 9th.

Voters who want to hand-deliver their completed ballots may do so between 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, between April 10 and May 9, without making an appointment. Take note that the embassy is closed during Philippine and British national holidays. Also, it is possible to have someone else vote on your behalf if you can't send your completed ballot or go to the embassy in person.

Latin America

For Brazil

You can cast your vote from April 10 to May 9, 2022.

There will be postal voting at the Philippine Embassy in Brasilia. Voters will get their ballots through the mail. Voters are urged to complete and return the votes they have received as soon as possible. Voters will be able to return their ballots to the embassy by mailing them to the return address indicated on their ballot packets.

Middle East

For Saudi Arabia

The Philippine Embassy in Saudi Arabia provides personal voting on numerous voting locations for the overseas voting period:

International Philippine School in Al Khobar, P.O. Box 4839, Al-Khobar 31952

From April 10 to May 8 at 2 pm to 10 pm on weekdays, including holidays, and 8 am to 5 pm on Friday to Saturday, including holidays.

On May 9 you can cast your vote from 8 am to 2 pm.

Philippine Embassy in Riyadh, Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

From April 10 to May 8 at 8 am to 5 pm every day, including weekends and holidays, and at 9 am to 6 pm during Ramadan.

On May 9 you can cast your vote from 8 am to 2 pm.

Philippine International School in Buraidah, Qaseem District, Al Fayziyyah

From April 10 to May 8 at 2 pm to 10 pm on Monday to Tuesday and 8 am to 10 pm on Friday.

On May 9 you can cast your vote from 8 am to 2 pm.

Embassy-on-Wheels in Hafar Al Batin

You can cast your vote on April 15 from 8 am to 10 pm and on April 16 from 8 am to 12 pm.

Embassy-on-Wheels in Al Jouf

You can cast your vote on April 22 from 8 am to 10 pm and on April 23 from 8 am to 12 pm.

Embassy-on-Wheels in Ha’il

You can cast your vote on April 29 from 8 am to 10 pm and on April 30 from 8 am to 12 pm.

Embassy-on-Wheels in Al Ahsa

You can cast your vote on May 6 from 8 am to 10 pm and on May 7 from 8 am to 12 pm.

Email [email protected] if you want to vote anywhere other than where you're registered as an overseas voter. Attach a copy of your passport’s information page and specify where you are registered to vote as well as where you want to cast your ballot. Requests must be approved by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

For the United Arab Emirates

The voting location is in the Philippine Embassy in the United Arab Emirates, W-48, Street No. 8, Sector 2-23, Plot 51, Al Qubaisat 3215 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. You can cast your vote on April 10, 2022 from 9 am to 4 pm, April 11 to May 8, 2022 from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm and on May 9, 2022 from 7 am to 3 pm.

There will be personal voting at the Philippine embassy in the United Arab Emirates so make sure to bring the following: Original or photocopy of a valid ID such as your Emirates ID, passport, or any government-issued ID.

Avoid campaigning for your chosen candidates and voting at the last minute. For the United Arab Emirates, Comelec has given five VCMs for the embassy and the Philippine Overseas Labor Offices). Voters may have to wait a while for their ballots to be counted.

North America

For Canada

You can cast your vote from April 10 to May 9, 2022.

Ballots will be distributed by the Philippine embassies in Ottawa, Calgary, Toronto, and Vancouver as they will be under postal voting. A voter registration package will be sent to each registered abroad postal address by the embassies and consulates.

It is imperative that votes be submitted back immediately to the Philippine posts. In the event that a registered voter moves or changes their address, they are responsible for notifying the embassy of their new location.

For Pacific Islands (US Territories)

You can cast your vote from April 10 to May 9, 2022.

The Philippine consulate in Agana, which covers voters in Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, and Wake Islands will be under postal voting.

There are two ways for voters to claim their ballots during the overseas voting period.

For the first option, you can pick up your ballots in person at the embassy in Suite 601, ITC Bldg, 590 S. Marine Corps. Dr. Tamuning from the 10th through the 17th of April, from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. When making a claim, you'll be required to provide a valid passport or any valid ID.

Or, you can wait for the postal delivery of ballot packets. After April 17, ballots that have not been claimed will be shipped out on April 18.

For the United States of America

You can cast your vote from April 10 to May 9, 2022. Please take note that only votes submitted by the deadline of May 9, 7 a.m. Eastern Time, will be tallied for the overseas voting.

There will be postal voting at the Philippine embassy and all of its consulates in the United States. Registered overseas voters will receive election packets in the mail from the embassies and consulates, which will be sent to their registered mailing addresses. There is no need to request the embassy to mail your ballot.

It is imperative that the accomplished ballots be submitted back immediately to the Philippine posts. Dropping them off at the embassy's mailboxes is another option.

Practicing our rights to vote and choose the next leader from the national candidates in our country is a great perk from the Philippine Government that we must grab every election day. These respective ballots that we cast during the Philippine elections will play a great role in our future.

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