Filipino-Canadians cast votes for new government

Filipino-Canadians will begin voting for a new government in their homeland in absentee voting ballots this week.
The Philippine Embassy in Ottawa and Consulates General in Canada have finalized all preparations and are in high gear for the voting process that begins this weekend.
The Philippine consulate in Vancouver in an election bulletin said voters who have not received their ballots by April 10 should visit the Philippine Consulate website (www.vancouverpcg.net) and/or visit the Consular Section of the Consulate at Suite 1405-700 West Pender St. Vancouver to check if their ballots were mailed to the Philippine Consulate.
If their ballot pack was sent to the Consulate, they may immediately claim this upon presentation of their Philippine Passport. Registered voters may also phone to check if their ballots have been sent to the Consulate.
The Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver also said some ballots for B.C.-based absentee voters were re-routed by Canada Post to its office due to errors in the recipients’ addresses.
Those ballots are now in the custody of the Consulate. If you are included in this list, please visit the Consulate during regular working hours, Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, to claim your ballot from Ms. Adora Cruz or Ms. Abigail Monte-Mah. Please bring a valid Philippine passport or Permanent Resident Card.
All completed ballots must be received by the Philippine Consulate or Embassy by mail or dropped in the designated Drop Box on or before 3:00 am of 10 May 2010.
Any ballots received after this time will be considered invalid.
Voters who have not received any ballots by mail or whose ballot packs were not sent to the Philippine Consulate are advised to check if their names appear in the Registry of Overseas Absentee Voters on the www.comelec.gov.ph.
A high voter turnout among the 600,000 Filipino registered voters overseas is expected in the May 10 elections.
The Middle East and Africas have the most number of registered voters with 225,148, followed by Asia Pacific at 215,546, North and South America with 66,745 and Europe at 61,294.
Based on records from the Commission on Filipinos Overseas, there are over 600,000 Filipinos in Canada, majority of who are permanent residents.
Nearly 18,000 offices are being contested in the May 10 elections, including 222 seats in the House of Representatives, 80 provincial governors and vice governors, and 1,514 municipal mayors and vice mayors.
Candidates for president, vice president and senators began their campaigns in February.
More than 50 million Filipinos are registered to vote on May 10.
For the first time in Philippine elections, votes would be counted by machine and then electronically transmitted.