Philippine overseas voting starts amid delays in some posts

Overseas absentee voting for Filipinos abroad has begun at various embassies and consulates worldwide.

The Philippine Mission in Geneva kicked off overseas voting with Permanent Representatives Evan Garcia and Manuel Teehankee casting their ballots.

In Egypt, the first ballot was received by the Philippine Embassy on April 10.

However, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced delays for voters under six embassies and consulates due to logistical challenges, including Shanghai due to a COVID-19 surge.

Voting will continue until May 9 with specific hours set for each location.

Over 1.6 million Filipinos are registered to vote overseas, marking the first decrease since 2004 when overseas elections began.