Eleksyon 2022 overseas absentee voting in northeast US delayed

NEW YORK - Thousands of Filipino voters in northeast US were not able to vote on Sunday, April 10, the first day of the overseas absentee voting (OAV) for Eleksyon 2022.

This was due to the delay in the shipment of vote counting machines, official ballots and election paraphernalia to be used by the Philippine Consulate General in New York for the OAV.

Affected are registered Filipino voters in:

• New York;
• New Jersey;
• Boston, Massachusetts;
• Connecticut;
• Pennsylvania;
• Main;
• Vermont;
• Rhode Island;
• New Hampshire;
• Delaware; and 
• Maryland.

Some members of the Filipino-American community as well as militant groups expressed outrage at the delay in the OAV.

In an open letter, they called for an explanation regarding the delay.

"As Filipino citizens and members of the Filipino-American community, we are outraged by the Philippine Consulate General New York’s public advisory regarding delays in the transport of election materials for the 2022 Philippine National Elections and the general lack of timely information on the voting process. We consider this unacceptable, as it has the effect of disenfranchising voters in the Northeastern United States. It also raises reasonable concerns that the COMELEC and the Philippine Consulate in New York might be intentionally and purposefully denying our constitutionally protected right to vote in this year’s elections," the letter read.

"We demand an explanation for the delay and lack of transparency from the Philippine Consulate and the Commission on Elections," it added.

On Monday, members of the Filipino-American community and militant groups will troop to the Philippine Consulate General in New York to look for their ballots.

Consul General Elmer Cato however said the problem was with the shipper and not the Consulate.

He added that Filipinos need not worry because they will ensure that elections will be clean, orderly, and credible in areas under the jurisdiction of the Consulate.

Cato also said some items from the shipment have already reached the FedEx facility in New Jersey. Other items have arrived at the Memphis FedEx facility.

The Consulate is expecting that the election materials will be delivered on Monday or Tuesday. This is why it scheduled the final testing and sealing of vote counting machines on Wednesday. Official ballots will then be mailed afterward to registered voters.

"Due to logistical difficulties encountered in the shipment of the election materials for the 2022 Philippine National Elections, the Consulate General of the Philippines in New York will be rescheduling the Final Testing and Sealing of Vote Counting Machines (VCMs) to 13 April 2022 (Wednesday) at 9:00am EST, at the Kalayaan Hall on the 2nd Floor of the Philippine Center," the Consulate said in an advisory posted on Facebook.

Meanwhile, Filipino voters in other parts of the US have already received their official ballots.

They may send their filled out ballots via US Postal Service or personally bring them to the Philippine Embassy in Washington, DC or Consulate offices in their area. —KG, GMA News