By Haidee V. Eugenio
Variety Assistant Editor

THOUSANDS of registered Filipino voters in the CNMI have only until 5 p.m. today to cast their absentee ballots in Philippine senatorial and party-list representative elections.
As of 4:15 p.m. yesterday, only about 19 percent or 1,594 of the 8,514 registered Filipino voters in the CNMI had cast their votes.
Philippine Consul General Wilfredo DL. Maximo said they expect an over 20 percent voter turnout at the close of the polls.
“Knowing that (Monday) is a working day, there may not be that many voters but we continue to encourage them to vote,” he said.
The absentee voting started on April 14 and ends today. However, the voting in the Philippines will only be held today.
In the CNMI, voting is being held every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the first floor of the Marianas Business Plaza, the former Nauru Building, with no lunch break.
Counting will begin right after the close of elections today.
During the 2004 presidential elections, 69 percent of the over 7,000 registered Filipino voters in the CNMI cast their votes.
Philippine government officials here attribute the low voter turnout this year to a “much less popular” midterm elections than the presidential elections.
“There’s nothing like the glitter of the presidential election,” Maximo said earlier.
A number of registered voters have also gone home to the Philippines, said Maximo, adding that voters from Rota and Tinian were not able to participate.