Comelec to ask Congress to amend absentee voting law

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Florentino Tuason Jr. will ask Congress to amend the overseas absentee voting law to allow Filipinos far from Philippine embassies and consulates to vote by mail.

"There are only three things to determine regarding OFWs — their identity, their citizenship status, and their immigration status," said Tuason, who is in charge of overseas voting.

Tuason said a handful of Filipino voters abroad had registered, with less casting their ballots on election day.

"At our level, using their passports and travel records, we could already determine these," he said.

"OFWs can only vote on national level officials plus party- list representatives."

Tuason also wants the processing of the registration of voters to be limited to the Comelec and the Department of Foreign Affairs to eliminate the need to pass these to the municipal and city election registration boards, where the overseas worker is a resident. — Jose Aravilla