Counting of ballots for local absentee voting ongoing – Comelec

The consolidated results from the LAV will be transmitted by 7 p.m. to the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC) to be included in the total count. (Arianne Lacanilao/PCI Photo)

By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora, Philippine News Agency

MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has started counting the ballots for local absentee voting (LAV), where over 51,000 media practitioners, uniformed personnel, and government workers participated last April.

Comelec Director and Head for LAV Committee Allen Francis Abaya said the turnout at 51,991 this year was much higher than the last midterm elections, where actual local absentee voters were below 50,000.

Abaya said the counting of ballots this year is smoother and more efficient as this is the first time Comelec is using the automated counting machines (ACMs) to count the ballots.

The consolidated results from the LAV will be transmitted by 7 p.m. to the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC) to be included in the total count.

“Tuloy-tuloy ang counting para sa balota ng ating mga local absentee voters (The batch-feeding of ballots for local absentee voters is continuous). The special board of canvassers will wait for the transmission of the results from these ACMs,” said Abaya in an interview at the Comelec head office in Manila.

The LAV allowed qualified individuals, including government workers, media practitioners, and members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippines National Police (PNP), to cast their votes in special voting centers from April 28 to 30.

In total, the Comelec approved a total of 57,689 local absentee voters for the 2025 midterm polls.