The Philippine Midterm Elections is currently ongoing! If you haven’t cast your votes for 12 senatorial candidates and one party-list representative yet, now is the best time to do so!
ALSO READ: Philippine Consulate General Dubai – Information
Overseas voting kicked off at Philippine missions in the UAE last Saturday, April 13. It will run will run until Monday, May 13, which is the actual date of elections in the Philippines. That’s right! Filipinos abroad have one month to vote, and the earlier you finish, the better!
Contents
Where and When Pinoys Can Vote in the UAE
There are around 1.78 million registered overseas Filipino voters globally, and roughly 18 percent of them are based in the UAE… 318,862 voters, as a matter of fact! If you’re residing in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, or other emirates nearby, make sure you know where and when to vote!
Due to insistent public demand, the Philippine Consulate in Dubai will be open on Maundy Thursday (April 18) and Good Friday (April 20).
“The PCG in Dubai will now be open EVERYDAY from 13 April to 13 May 2019 for purposes of the overseas voting procedure,” Consul General Paul Raymund Cortes announced on his Facebook page.
“Please note that these schedules are only for Overseas Voting,” he clarified. “Consular schedule remains from Sunday to Thursday from 8 AM to 5 PM.”
Overseas Voting Schedule
Here are the specific dates and timings for overseas voters:
Philippine Embassy – Abu Dhabi
April 13 – 8am to 4pm
April 14 to May 12 – 9am to 5pm (except April 18 & 19)
May 13 – 6am to 2pm
Philippine Consulate General – Dubai
April 13 to May 12 – 8am to 9pm
May 13 – 6am to 2 pm
Essential Information for Voters
For the duration of the election period, the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai has deployed 11 clustered precincts at the Consulate, POLO-OWWA, and other field venues. Likewise, the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi has deployed six clustered precincts.
Before going to the precincts, voters are advised to check their names in the Certified List of Voters (CLOV) posted in the Consulate and Embassy websites. These names have also been printed and displayed in both missions.
Upon arriving at the Consulate, Embassy, or other field venues, voters shall be required to present their passport, Emirates ID, Voter’s ID, or any other valid ID for identification purposes. To save time, it’s also a good idea to come prepared with your list of candidates!
Once you receive your official ballot, completely shade the oval before the names of your candidates. Do not shade outside the oval! Also, you can vote for less but not more than the required number of candidates; otherwise, your ballot will be considered invalid!
ALSO READ: PCG Dubai Launches WhatsApp Service to Assist Filipinos in UAE
The Midterm Elections may not be as huge as the Presidential Elections, but it is still important since we will be electing our future lawmakers. Meanwhile, aside from voting during elections, here are other services offered by the Philippine Consulate and Overseas Labor Office in Dubai.
