Section 24Sec./Art. 24

Section 16 of the same Act is hereby renumbered as Section 24 and is amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 24. Casting and Submission of Ballots. -

"24.1. Upon receipt by the SBEI of the ballots for overseas voters, voting instructions, election forms and other paraphernalia, they shall make these available on the premises to the qualified overseas voters in their respective jurisdictions during the thirty (30) days before the day of elections when overseas voters may cast their vote. Immediately upon receiving it, the overseas voter must fill-out her/his ballot personally, in secret, without leaving the premises of the posts concerned.

"24.2. The overseas voter shall personally accomplish her/his ballot at the post that has jurisdiction over the country where she/he temporarily resides or at any polling place designated and accredited by the Commission.

"24.3. The overseas voter shall cast her/his ballot, upon presentation of the voter identification card issued by the Commission or such other documents deemed by the SBEI at the post as sufficient to establish the voter's identity.

"24.4. x x x

"24.5. The posts concerned shall keep a complete record of the ballots for overseas voters, specifically indicating the number of ballots they actually received, and in cases where voting by mail is allowed under Section 25 hereof, the names and addresses of the voters to whom these ballots were sent, including proof of receipt thereof. In addition, the posts shall submit a formal report to the Commission and the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee created under this Act within thirty (30) days from the day of elections. Such report shall contain data on the number of ballots cast and received by the offices, the number of invalid and unclaimed ballots and other pertinent data.

"24.6. Ballots not claimed by the overseas voters at the posts, in case of personal voting, and ballots returned to the posts concerned, in the case of voting by mail, shall be cancelled and shipped to the Commission by the least costly method within six (6) months from the day of elections.

"24.7. Only ballots cast, and mailed ballots received by the posts concerned in accordance with Section 25 hereof before the close of voting on the day of elections shall be counted in accordance with Section 27 hereof. All envelopes containing the ballots received by the posts after the prescribed period shall not be opened, and shall be cancelled and shipped to the Commission by the least costly method within six (6) months from the day of elections.

"24.8. A special ballot Reception and Custody Group composed of three (3) members shall be constituted by the Commission from among the staff of the posts concerned, including their attached agencies, and citizens of the Philippines abroad, who will be deputized to receive ballots and take custody of the same preparatory to their transmittal to the SBEI.

"24.9. x x x

"24.10. x x x."