COMELEC announces start of registration for overseas absentee voting

The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) announced the resumption of the continuing registration of qualified overseas absentee voters for purposes of the May 10, 2010 national elections.

All overseas Filipinos who intend to vote in the coming presidential polls are enjoined to sign up or update their registration with the COMELEC from December 1, 2008 to August 31, 2009.

Center for Migrant Advocacy Executive Director and convenor of the International Coalition for Overseas Filipino Voting Rights Ellene Sana said this was contained in COMELEC resolution 8458 promulgated on May 20, 2008.

Sana, who has been at the forefront of the battle for the empowerment of overseas Filipinos, said this registration period is an opportunity for the COMELEC to clean up the voters lists, which are outdated.

She explained that many of the overseas Filipinos (OFs) who originally registered to vote have since returned to the Philippines or have transferred residence or moved to another job in another country.

Sana said this was one of the main reasons why the turnout for overseas absentee voting fell from 65% in the 2004 presidential elections to only 16.21% in the 2007 senatorial elections.

This is particularly true in the countries where the Philippines has the most OFWs, such as Saudi Arabia and Hong Kong, where employment contracts are usually for the duration only of two years.ABSCBN News

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