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Hong Kong polling precincts increased to accommodate voters

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<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Overseas Filipinos queueing at the Bayanihan Kennedy Town Center in Hong Kong as overseas absentee voting for the 2022 elections starts April 10, 2022. Photo courtesy of Donna Franco" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/04/10/20220410-hongkong-voters.jpg "/><figcaption>Overseas Filipinos queueing at the Bayanihan Kennedy Town Center in Hong Kong as overseas absentee voting for the 2022 elections starts April 10, 2022. Photo courtesy of Donna Franco</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA - The Philippine Consulate in Hong Kong has deployed 5 more vote counting machines (VCMs) and activated 5 additional electoral boards, its chief said Wednesday.The development comes after the Commission on Elections <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SioIvdaZX8o" target="_blank">added 5 more polling precincts</a> in Hong Kong due to the larger-than-expected turnout last Sunday. The consulate always had 10 polling precincts in previous elections, said Philippine Consul in Hong Kong Robert Quintin.&quot;When the allocation of VCMs were released earlier this year, we were given 5 so our authority was to open 5 electoral boards as well. After we got that, we immediately made the request to expand it back to 10,&quot; he told ANC&#x27;s Headstart. &quot;The first day was a case of too many [voters] at the same time. If they come in smaller waves, then maybe we would be able to accommodate them even with 5 [polling precincts].&quot;The Hong Kong Police cut the voters&#x27; queue last Sunday &quot;in exercise of their duty to protect public health,&quot; Quintin said.All polling precincts in Hong Kong are at the Bayanihan Kennedy Town Center, he added.There are around 93,000 Filipino voters in the territory, an increase of 13,000 from the 2019 elections, according to the Consul. Around 6,000 have voted so far, he said.&quot;We hope you can come on weekdays so we’ll be able to accommodate you better on weekdays,&quot; Quintin said.&quot;Kung tiyatiyagain niyo pong pumila, tiyatiyagain din namin po na makaboto kayong lahat.&quot;(If you will persevere in lining up, we&#x27;ll also try hard to ensure you all get to vote.)<div>EXIT POLLS </div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1997574" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>Not all Filipinos interviewed for alleged exit polls in Hong Kong were voters, according to the Consul.In an exit poll, people leaving a polling center are asked who they voted for. The Comelec recently cautioned the public against believing unreliable sources who posted on social media the results of supposed Hong Kong exit polls. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/11/22/comelec-looking-into-exit-polls-done-on-overseas-voters">Comelec looking into ‘exit polls’ done on overseas voters</a></li></ul>&quot;When a person is able to enter the polling venue, it doesn&#x27;t mean he was able to vote. Meron nagbabakasali lang (some just took a chance). They go to our voter search area and find out they&#x27;re not on the list,&quot; Quintin said.&quot;Most of them will probably answer those surveys all the same. To echo what Comelec is saying, this is quite unreliable because of these factors.&quot;The Consulate can only report these incidents to the Comelec as it does not have police power to prohibit exit polls, Quintin said. Exit polls are disallowed within a 30-meter radius of the venue to prevent clustering, he added.&quot;Our focus is really to accommodate voters. As far as those doing exit polls, what we do is make sure they&#x27;re out of the way and they&#x27;re not doing anything to impede people,&quot; he said.

The Philippine Consulate in Hong Kong has deployed 5 move vote counting machines (VCMs) and activated an additional 5 electoral boards, its chief said Wednesday.