Local absentee voting starts today

MANILA, Philippines — Government employees and other qualified individuals who will be performing election-related duties can already cast their votes starting today.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Garcia said the poll body is set to conduct the Local Absentee Voting (LAV) until April 30.

Local absentee voters may cast their votes from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Garcia urged the over 57,000 police officers, soldiers, government personnel and members of the media to cast their votes.

“To our local absentee voters, we need you to come election day. Thus, it’s important for you to cast your votes now until April 30,” the poll chief said.

LAV, Garcia said, is the Comelec’s way of recognizing the gallant performance of those government and media personnel on election day.

“You’re all heroes to us, so we want to give you this special treatment,” Garcia said.

Comelec previously approved a total of 57,689 LAV voters.

The number includes 29,030 Armed Forces personnel, 23,448 national police, 4,206 government employees and 1,005 members of media.

Those participating in the LAV will vote for 12 senators and one party-list organization using the automated counting machines (ACMs).

Government officials and employees, including policemen and military, shall vote in the venues pre-determined by the heads of offices/supervisors/commanders, while members of the media will vote at the Comelec offices where they filed their applications for LAV.

In the 2022 elections, LAV had an 88 percent voter turnout out of the over 84,000 qualified local absentee voters.