MANILA, Philippines?The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has urged government employees and security forces with poll duties on May 10 to register for local absentee voting after the poll body moved to March 15 the deadline for filing of applications, an official said Wednesday.

Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento said government employees and members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police rendering election duties can vote ahead, between April 24 to 26.

As of last week, the Comelec has received only 6,000 applications for local absentee voting compared to over 50,000 applications for the 2007 polls. About 40,000 cast their ballots then.

Applicants can file their application to the Comelec committee on local absentee voting or CLAV. The CLAV will then verify and submit the list of approved applications to concerned city or municipal election officers not later than April 20.

Under Republic Act 7166 and Executive Order 157, local absentee voters are only allowed to vote for national candidates.