Comelec targets registered Filipino voters abroad to reach 2m by 2019 polls

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is targeting 2 million registered Filipino voters abroad in time for the May 13, 2019 midterm elections.

The Office for Overseas Voting (OFOV) said they were hoping to entice 600,000 Filipinos who are based in other countries to sign up for the overseas absentee voting.

“We are aiming to breach the 2 million mark as a total… We hope to reach 2 million for the 2019 elections,” said Commissioner Arthur Lim, OFOV officer in charge.

It may be recalled that the Comelec scheduled the registration period for overseas absentee voters from Dec. 1, 2016 to Sept. 30, 2018.

Those qualified to register are Philippine citizens who are abroad or will be abroad during the 30-day voting period and at least 18 years old on the day of the elections.

As of May 2016, there were 1,376,067 registered overseas voters, including 1,326,728 land-based and 49,339 sea-based voters.

Lim expressed confidence of meeting their target, even though the midterm elections usually generate little interest from Filipinos based in other countries.