Absentee voters fewer than those who sought to vote offsite in 2007

Local absentee voters who registered for the May elections — including police and military personnel assigned to areas outside their poll precincts — are far fewer those who did the same during the 2007 polls. Despite a one-week registration extension, only about 30,000 probable absentee voters registered for the upcoming May elections, a Commission on Elections (Comelec) official said. In 2007, local absentee voters reached more than 60,000 but now, it’s just 30,000, said Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento, who is also head of the poll body’s Committee on Local Absentee Voting. Registration was allowed until March 7 but was extended until March 15. Registrants — including members of the military and the police force who will be on election duty — will be able to participate in absentee voting from April 24 to 26. But the commissioner said that the poll body still expects the number to increase because not all the registration applications have come in yet. "May dumadating kasi by mail so lalagpas pa 30,000 (There are still arriving by mail so it will exceed 30)," he said. He added that this was still an improvement from the dismal turnout of 1,000 voters reported earlier in the month. The media helped increase publicity about the event, he said. Last February, the Comelec released the guidelines for local absentee voting. Those intending to avail of the privilege must file their application forms to the head of their office who must then submit accomplished applications and a list of their personnel who wish to vote offsite to the Comelec. If approved, they shall be allowed to vote anytime from April 24 to 26 in the place designated by the head of their agency and in the presence of an authorized Comelec representative. But just like overseas absentee voters, local absentee voters will only be allowed to vote for national positions. A total of 50,723,734 Filipinos in the country are qualified to vote while 589,830 more Filipinos abroad are expected to participate in the overseas absentee voting in the May automated polls. - RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV