Comelec hopes to increase overseas voting participation in 2025 polls through online voting

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 26) — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday said it hopes to encourage more Filipino voters overseas to participate in the 2025 midterm polls through online voting.

“Perhaps, with the use of internet voting in 2025, more of our fellowmen overseas will be able to vote. Maybe perhaps we could increase up to 80%,” Comelec spokesperson Rex Laudiangco told CNN Philippines’ The Source.

In the 2022 polls, Laudiangco noted that only around 38% of the 1.7 million registered voters, or around 600,000 Filipinos overseas, cast their votes.

The Comelec approved on May 17 the implementation of internet voting for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) for the national and local elections in May 2025. 

This was approved based on The Overseas Voting Act of 2013, which allows Comelec to explore other modes or systems using automated election system, and The Overseas Absentee Voting Act of 2003.

To prepare for its implementation, Comelec said it will release in a few weeks the draft rules for the conduct of online voting for the 2025 midterm elections.

“The number one priority in internet voting is the safety and security. We will make sure we have enough encryption, we have enough firewalls, and defenses against hacking,” Laudiangco said.

Aside from this, he said the poll body will also implement a transparency audit.

“This system of voting will be auditable, all the votes will be accounted and we will make sure that voters overseas will be receiving a confirmation that their votes were cast,” Laudiangco noted.