Los Angeles has most number of registered OAVs

LOS ANGELES—More than 16,000 Filipinos from around the world have registered as Overseas Absentee Voters (OAV) for the 2013 National Elections with Los Angeles leading the way.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said that as of January 18, of the 16,332 Filipinos from around the world that have registered as OAVs, Los Angeles has the most with 1,760.

It’s no surprise Los Angeles is leading the ballots as it is home to the most Filipinos outside of the Philippines.

Rounding out the top five from around the world, Los Angeles leads the way with 1,760 registered OAVs, followed by 962 in Tel Aviv, Israel; 915 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 847 in Milan, Italy; and 729 in London, England.

In North America, Los Angeles is followed by 627 registered OAVS in San Francisco; 490 in Toronto, Canada; 383 in Chicago; and 369 in Vancouver, Canada.

By region, the Americas has registered the most OAVs with 5,199, followed by Middle East and Africa 4,585 and Europe 3,505. Asia and the Pacific have 3,043.

The Philippine Embassy calls on all Filipinos under its jurisdiction to register as an OAV so they may exercise their right of suffrage during the national elections in 2013.

Registration as absentee voter allow all citizens of the Philippines abroad to vote for Senators and Party-List Representatives as long as they are at least 18 years old on the day of the election, and registered overseas absentee voter with approved application to vote in absentia.

The registration period will end on October 31.