MANILA, Philippines - Over 5,000 Filipinos have registered for the overseas absentee voting (OAV) at Philippine posts abroad in preparation for the 2013 elections, the Commission on Elections said (COMELEC).
The COMELEC's Education and Information Department said a total of 5,438 have registered for the OAV as of Monday (December 5).
“Since we have just started the registration period, we are not surprised at the modest turnouts,” said COMELEC Spokesperson James Jimenez.
The OAV registration period started last November 2, 2011 and will run until October 31, 2012.
“We expect the number of OAV applicants to increase starting January next year,” Jimenez said.
He said Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) topped the list of PH posts abroad with the most number of OAV applicants with 407. It was followed by Tel Aviv in Israel with 332 and Riyadh in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with 305.
The poll body said the Middle East and Africas have the most number of OAV applicants with 1,675.
Europe came in second with 1,338 followed by America with 1,241, and Asia and the Pacific with 1,184.
In Asia, Macau generated the most number of OAV applicants with 215, followed by Singapore with 206, and then Tokyo with 143.
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