Saudi FM calls Indian, Pakistani counterparts to discuss developments    Al Hilal thrash Gwangju to reach AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Saudi Arabia cracks down on fraudulent Hajj campaigns, urges pilgrims to use official channels    Nammos Amala Resort to open soon with Saudi-Greek designs    Saudi Arabia completes 674 Vision 2030 initiatives, achieves 93% of KPIs as ninth-year milestone marked    Literature Commission inaugurates Saudi Pavilion at Muscat Book Fair    Saudi Minister of Culture holds talks with his Costa Rican counterpart in Jeddah    Alkhorayef praises advancements in Al-Kharj food industries sector    MHRSD: 80% of recruitment offices are non-compliant with regulations    At least 50 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza    Teenage girl killed in French school stabbing attack    Trump claims meeting with China after Beijing denies any trade negotiations    GACA chief chairs 16th meeting of the Steering Committee on aviation's strategy    Saudi Theater Commission launches its Work and Learn Project in UK    The season has begun — and one comment shook us all    Jennifer Lopez dazzles in Jeddah with a Formula 1 performance    Saudi Arabia open to expanded 64-team World Cup in 2034, says sports minister    Average life expectancy in Saudi Arabia rises to78.8 years    Film Commission launches 'Cinema' initiative to enhance content    Famed Philippine film star Nora Aunor dies at 71    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Voting turnout in Kingdom still low but increasing: Official
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 18 - 04 - 2010

Filipino voters in Saudi Arabia trooped to polling centers in the Kingdom to pull up however slightly the overseas absentee voting (OAV) turnout Thursday and Friday, when workers usually have their days off.
As of 6:00 P.M. Friday, the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh recorded an increase of over 60 percent in the voter turnout for the capital city, compared with the Wednesday night figure, but still just about 5 percent of the total number of registered voters there.
Vice Consul Roussel Reyes told GMANews.TV that from only 1,000 voters when the voting center in Riyadh and the field voting precinct in Burayda closed Wednesday, turnout went up to 2,639 as of 6 P.M. Friday.
.In Jeddah, the Philippine Consul General likewise had over 1,400 voters as of Friday, or just over 4 percent of the 37,083 registered voters there, according to Consul Leo Tito Ausan Jr.
In the voting center in the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Al Khobar, meanwhile, 1,300 Filipinos have so far voted out of the 21,537 voters in the area, according to Labor Attache David Des Dicang. The three voting centers, however, have recorded a “significant" number of voters who were unable to vote due to problems with the certified list of overseas absentee voters (CLOAV).
Reyes said some of the voters, most of whom have not voted in the last two OAV's in the Kingdom, were unable to find their names on the list. Others had their names in Al-Khobar even if they registered in Riyadh. A case of a land-based voter with his name placed on the seafarers' list was also reported.
“We are doing everything we can to address these problems. We have established help desks in the voting centers, and we are also filing reports with the Commission on Elections and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) daily for resolution," Reyes said.
The three Philippine posts in the Kingdom have also sent out letters to employers urging them to allow their Filipino workers to go out and vote, as well as sought the help of media outfits to encourage voting. “We are very optimistic that turnout will be higher this year. We can see there is a great sentiment in people to vote in the 2010 presidential elections," said Ausan.
The POLO in Al Khobar is willing to extend beyond the eight-hour regular voting period to accommodate more voters, especially on Thursdays and Fridays.


Clic here to read the story from its source.