PHL eyes 1M overseas voters for 2013 elections

UPDATED 5:30 p.m. - The Philippine Commission on Elections (Comelec) is eyeing a voter registration turnout of one million for its overseas absentee voting (OAV) for the 2013 midterm polls. On Thursday, Comelec commissioner Armando Velasco told reporters that at present there are only 347,000 Filipino voters registered overseas. "The target for the 2013 elections is one million... so kailngan natin ng more than 600,000 para ma-meet yung one million voters target," he said. He said the poll body is looking at several ways of encouraging voter participation abroad. "Para positive ang dating sa mga overseas Filipino workers, ang kanilang convenience ang tinitingnan namin," he said. They are specifically looking into conducting internet registration because Filipinos are scattered all over the world. Overseas absentee voting Under Republic Act No. 9189, otherwise known as “The Overseas Absentee Voting Act of 2003", all citizens of the Philippines abroad, not otherwise disqualified by law, may vote for senators and party-list Representatives. Overseas absentee voters must be:

at least eighteen (18) years of age on the day of the election, and

registered or have approved applications to vote in absentia. All qualified Filipino citizens not registered as voters under Republic Act No. 8189, otherwise known as “The Voters Registration Act of 1996", (the system of continuing registration) shall file an application for registration while those who are already registered under the said Act shall file an application for certification. For the May 13, 2013 elections, the filing of applications for registration and transfer of registration records shall be filed at the Post or other designated registration areas from October 31, 2011 to October 31, 2012. — LBG/VVP, GMA News