Comelec sees 32.37% turnout among overseas voters so far

IMAGE: Daniella Marie Agacer

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is seeing a 32.37-percent voting turnout among overseas voters to date.

Comelec Commissioner Marlon Casquejo said the figure will still rise as the elections continue.

“Sa ngayon, we reached already 32.3 percent, that is as of 10 a.m., 32.37 percent voting turnout and we are expecting a much higher voting turnout kasi may mga ibang mail ballot pa na hindi pa nabibilang at saka may continuing pa po ang ating in-person voting,” he said in a press briefing.

(Currently, we have already reached 32.3 percent, that is as of 10 a.m., 32.37 percent voter turnout and we are expecting a much higher voting turnout because there are other mail ballots that are not counted and in-person voting is underway.)

According to the commissioner, they are expecting to reach a 40-percent voting turnout among Filipinos abroad.

“So, we are expecting a higher voting turnout. Hopefully, umabot tayo ng (we will reach) 40 percent voter turnout in our overseas voting,” he said.

In the 2016 presidential elections, the voting turnout for overseas voting was at 31.66 percent.

For this year’s polls, there are 1.6 million registered voters abroad. Voting started on April 10 and will end on May 9.

/MUF