118K new absentee voters as of end-September

FILE: Over 118,000 individuals have so far registered for overseas absentee voting since the registration started over a year ago, the Commission on Elections – Office for Overseas Voting (Comelec-OFOV) said on Monday. (Avito C.Dalan / PNA)

MANILA — Over 118,000 individuals have so far registered for overseas absentee voting since the registration started over a year ago, the Commission on Elections – Office for Overseas Voting (Comelec-OFOV) said on Monday.

“As of September 30, 2017, we tallied a total number of registered overseas Filipino voters at 118,335 (as approved by RERBs or Regional Election Registration Boards),” Comelec-OFOV head Commissioner Arthur Lim said.

With this, he reported that the number of registered overseas voters is now over 1.4 million.

“So this figure of 118,335 newly approved new registrants will bring the total at 1,418,335 registered overseas voters as of September 30, 2017,” he said.

Lim added, “FYI the total number of registered Filipino overseas voters as of the May 9, 2016 elections was 1,300,000 (rounded off).”

The poll body official noted that additional applications for registration are also being readied for the next round of RERB hearings.

When asked if they are confident to meet the 1-million target for the overseas voting, he said, “It is admittedly a difficult target but hope springs eternal. We are doubling our efforts and keeping our fingers crossed: with your help and those of others, we might reach it.”

The registration started on Dec. 1, 2016 and will run until Sept. 30, 2018.