Thursday, January 31, 2013

Philippine absentee voting bill

The Senate has unanimously ratified the bicameral conference committee report on the absentee voting bill allowing members of the media and government officials and employees on duty to vote in their places of assignment during elections.

Submitted by Senator Aquilino 'Koko' Pimentel III, the bicameral conference committee report on the reconciled version of Senate Bill 1198 and House Bill 4241 was approved without opposition on last Tuesday night.

Pimentel, chairman of the Senate committee on electoral reforms, lauded his colleagues for ratifying the proposed measure which the Senate approved on third and final reading last December 12.

The bill would require the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to allow the members of media and media practitioners the right to vote even away from the places of their registration.

According to the bill, the absentee voters shall vote one week before election day.

The proposed measure, however, only covered the national positions such as president, vice president, senators, and party-list representatives.

Aside from media, the government officials and employees including police and military members who will be on duty during elections will be allowed also to vote away from the places of their registration.

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