By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora/Philippine News Agency
MANILA — A ranking Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) official sees the highest overseas voter turnout for the 2019 mid-term elections as Filipinos seemed “more enthusiastic” in exercising their right of suffrage.
“I can safely say that this, on record, will be the highest ever senatorial election. In fact, we are going to surpass the 2010 presidential elections as far as number of voters is concerned,” said Ed Castro, vice chairman of the DFA’s overseas voting secretariat, in a recent television interview.
Although predicting the actual percentage is difficult, Castro said voters would reach 280,000 if the turnout goes by the 2013 record of 16.11 percent or a total of 118,823.
The potentially high voter turnout was attributed to the momentum set in the recent presidential elections in 2016 which, Castro said, “the overseas Filipinos are more enthusiastic in exercising their political rights.”
“They are more aware now on the importance of overseas votes,” he pointed out.
There is a total of 1,822,115 million active overseas Filipino voters, of which 794,286 are newly-registered.
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