Watch more News on iWantTFC

Vote counting machines for the 2022 Philippine presidential elections have arrived in Los Angeles.

The consulate on Thursday tested out the machines in front of a group of observers, even doing a mock vote. This came just a little more than a month away from election day. Overseas absentee voting meanwhile starts on April 10.

"The arrival of the vote counting machines means it's now all systems go for us at the Philippine consulate and as far as the overseas voting for the 2022 national elections is concerned," Consul General Edgar Badajos asserted.

There are some 36,000 registered voters in Los Angeles' jurisdiction. Past elections had over 50,000 voters but included Texas and New Mexico who now have their own jurisdiction.

Ballots are expected to be sent out within a few days. This year's election will be done only through mail and a physical drop box at the consulate. Postage on the envelopes were already prepaid.

"They arrived in the US but were cleared by the US customs only yesterday, so it’s only today we were able to do the final testing and unsealing, but nonetheless we are mandated to start sending the ballots as soon as we receive them so by April 10, we are sure the first set of ballots will be received by their respective voters," Badajos said.

In the 2016 presidential elections, about 7,700 ballots were returned out of some 54,000 registered voters in the area. Meanwhile, 8,200 votes were cast in the 2019 midterms. Badajos hopes the low turnouts can change.

"This is one sad commentary probably we could make about the elections here in Southern California because the numbers are not so high. We only have 36,000 more or less registered voters but historically the turnout is only 15%. We’re only looking at 5,000 plus who will cast their ballots come Election Day."

Badajos acknowledged the need to drum up interest in the polls. "We have to tell people that there’s so much at stake in this election. That we are going through a transition period in the sense that we just went through a pandemic. We have to sustain the economic gains that are just a few months into the recovery. And the best way to do that is to elect the best set of people, who will lead the people in the next six years."

Badajos also encouraged voters who may have trouble receiving their ballots to notify the consulate. As ballots trickle in, the vote counting machines will be fed twice a week, leading up to the final count on May 9.