The Overseas Absentee Voting mechanism was implemented in the Philippines in 2003 to provide an opportunity for Filipinos abroad to exercise their right in electing the President, Vice President, Senators and one Party-list Representative.

After Congress approved the OAV in 2003, about 300,000 Filipinos abroad registered to vote in the two-month registration period.

But this number dipped in 2006 when only 142,000 Filipinos in the 13-month registration period for the 2007 elections.

GMANews.TV prepared this short interactive primer as a guide for the Filipinos living and working abroad on the voting registration process for the 2010 national elections.

The OAV registration process opened in February 2009. The government has set a goal of 1 million OAV registrants by August 31, the last day of the registration period. Only 115,650 overseas Filipinos had signed up as of end-June.

This OAV primer is the first in a series of information materials that the Pinoy Abroad team is producing so that the voice of overseas Filipinos may be heard in the polls.