Low voter turnout a disappointment, reports consulate in N.Y.

Consul Kerwin Tate is urging voters to exercise their patriotic duty. The FilAm Photos

Consul Kerwin Tate is urging voters to exercise their patriotic duty. The FilAm Photos

By Cristina DC Pastor

“Para sa aking mga apo.” (This is for my grandchildren)

These words were written on the inside flap of a ballot envelop received by the Philippine Consulate. Although this ballot appears to be filled with “fervor,” Consul General Mario de Leon Jr. expressed disappointment over the low voting turnout in the Northeast.

Nineteen days after the start of the April 9 overseas elections – leading to the May 9 national elections in the Philippines – only 3,500 ballots have been received either in person or by mail. Out of about 26,000 total registered voters across the Northeast, that number represents only 13 percent, said De Leon. Of 3,500, about 800 have been Returned to Sender due to wrong mailing address.

“If we multiply 13 percent by two considering that we have 11 more days to go, that would be 26 percent,” he said. The number remains dismal when compared to the global voting turnout of 64 percent in 2004 and 26 percent in 2010, he said.

“I’m kinda disappointed,” the envoy said in an April 28 press briefing. “I am expecting more; we hope to exceed the historical turnout rate.”

Voting on the East Coast ends on May 9 at 5 a.m. to coincide with the close of voting in the Philippines at 5 p.m.

While he voiced hope that a surge in ballots may still happen toward the close of balloting, De Leon is urging registered Filipino Americans to vote as early as possible.
His advice: “Boto agad and send it right away.”

Ballots may be mailed or hand-carried to the Philippine Consulate office on Fifth Avenue. The ballots will then be collected by a group of trained poll officers and volunteers, inspected for possible technical errors, and fed to a Vote Counting Machine for tally.

It is important to vote several days before May 9, stressed Consul Kerwin Tate, the official in charge of the overseas voting process in the Northeast. Having the ballots and stamped on May 9 will be too late.

“It doesn’t work that way,” he said. “By May 9 at 5 a.m., everything will be closed.”

Tate added, “We are urging voters to exercise their patriotic duty. Every vote counts.”

He shared the story of how one ballot had the words written in the inside flap of the ballot envelop: “Para sa aking mga apo.” It was one voter’s deeply felt patriotic message. Although it was worthy of an Instagram post, he said the poll officials did not take a photo and “respected the sanctity of the ballot.”

The May 9 elections will determine the next president, vice president, 12 senators, 297 members of the House of Representatives and other local official. Overseas Filipinos will only elect the national officials.

Vying to succeed incumbent President Benigno Aquino III are current Vice President Jojo Binay, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, Senator Grace Poe, former Trade Secretary Mar Roxas and Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago. Unlike in the U.S. elections, the president and vice president may be voted separately.

The consulate is urging the 800 voters whose names appear in the Return to Sender list to contact the office of Consul Tate to update their information. The names are listed here.

Poll officials and volunteers inspect ballots before feeding them to Vote Counting Machines.

Poll officials and volunteers inspect ballots before feeding them to Vote Counting Machines.

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