The Overseas Absentee Voting Secretariat expressed confidence that the turnout of overseas absentee voters (OAV) will top 60 percent, which could be the swing vote to decide the outcome of the closely fought May 2010 presidential elections.

A three-day training for Foreign Service personnel started Wednesday at the Heritage Hotel in Pasay City for the conduct of overseas absentee voting, counting and canvassing, which will be held in 94 foreign posts from April 10 to May 10 this year.

Secretariat Vice Chairman Nestor Padalhin, in an interview with reporters, said they are hoping for a big turnout in the upcoming polls.

“’Di na siguro lalayo [It might not be far from the 2004 OAV turnout]. Definitely more than the 2004 turnout,” he said.

According to Padalhin, the 2004 OAV had a 64 percent turnout while the 2007 mid-elections only had a 16 percent turnout. The mid-term elections do not choose a president and vice president.

“Ang point of comparison natin yung 2004 [The 2004 elections will be our point of comparison],” he said.

Out of the 589,830 total overseas absentee voters, 568,733 are landbased and 21,097 are seafarers. The biggest bulk comes from the Middle East and Africa comprising 225,148 voters, followed by countries in the Asia-Pacific at 215,546, and North and South America at 66,745.

“It is the biggest so far which could spell a difference through a swing vote or a deciding vote,” Padalhin said.

Singapore and Hong Kong, where automated voting will be conducted, account for 127,206 overseas voters. There are 95,355 registered overseas absentee voters in Hong Kong and 31,851 in Singapore.

The training for Foreign Service personnel yesterday is the first and biggest for the upcoming elections.

Each foreign post will have three Foreign Service personnel assigned to represent the Special Ballot Reception and Custody Group (SBRCG), the Special Board of Elections Inspectors (SBEI) and the Special Board of Canvassers (SBOC).

Each post will also have three alternates for each group, said Padalhin.

Aside from the Manila-based training being attended by representatives of Foreign Service posts in the Asia-Pacific, a similar training will be held in Los Angeles, California, USA and Madrid, Spain, on March 11 to 13 to cover the Americas and Europe.

There will also be trainings in Abu Dhabi, UAE and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on March 18 to 20 to cover Middle East and Africa, as well as in the Saudi Arabian cities of Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al-Khobar.

Training on the automated election system will likewise be held in Singapore and Hong Kong on the first week of April.

The training covers voting procedures, voting by seafarers and returned mails, counting procedures, election offenses, administrative matters and prohibited acts, among others.

Overseas absentee voters may only vote for national positions at stake – president, vice president, and 12 senators.