The Commission on Elections is set to conduct final testing and sealing of the vote counting machines to be dispatched to 30 Philippine posts overseas where registered overseas Filipinos could cast their votes.
In an en banc Resolution No. 10051, the Comelec is mandated to hold final testing and sealing of the VCMs three weeks before the start of the voting period for overseas Filipinos on April 9.
There will be actual casting of votes using 10 FTS-specific ballots, which will then be fed to the VCMs, during the final testing and sealing.
The VCMs are expected to generate eight copies of the results using thermal papers after votes are cast.
A special Board of Election Inspectors shall also count and verify the accomplished ballots.
Candidates, political parties, and party-list groups will be notified of the details of the FTS, at least three days before it is conducted.
After the final testing and sealing, the VCMs will remain sealed until the start of the overseas absentee voting.
The election paraphernalia to be used by OFWs should be placed inside ballot boxes.
The Comelec set the voting period for the overseas absentee voters from 8 a.m. (host country time) of April 9 up to 7 p.m. (Philippine time) of May 9.
In accordance with Comelec Minute Resolution No. 15-0798, the VCMs will be shipped to Agana, Chicago, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, Ottawa, San Francisco, Toronto, Vancouver, Washington, London, Madrid, Milan, Rome, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Osaka, Seoul, Singapore, Tokyo, Abu Dhabi, Beirut, Doha, Dubai, Jeddah, Kuwait, Manama, Al Khobar, Riyadh, and Tel Aviv.