Overseas voting hit 18%, breached target – Comelec exec

Elaiza Sabile-David, director in charge of overseas voting. PHOTO by Faye Orellana/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines – The turnout for overseas voting for the 2019 midterm elections surpassed the figure of the midterm polls in 2013, an official of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Monday.

Elaiza Sabile-David, director in charge for overseas voting, said that overseas absentee voting had a turnout of more than 18 percent.

“The 2019 midterm elections overseas voting turn out is 18.34% with 334,242 who actually voted,” Sabile-David said in a Twitter post.

“It surpassed the 15.63% turn out in the 2013 midterm elections with 115,318 who actually voted,” she added.

Sabile-David said that historically, overseas voter turnout had always been low during midterm elections.

According to her, overseas Filipinos are more interested in voting during presidential elections that happen every six years.

The turnout for the midterm elections this year exceeded the poll body’s target.

Sabile-David earlier said that Comelec only targeted to breach the 16 percent mark. (Editor: Cenon B. Bibe Jr.)

READ: Comelec targets more than 16% overseas voter turnout