Enrollment of overseas Filipinos’ online voting gadgets starts 2025

Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia (File Photo: Yancy Lim via Philippine News Agency/Facebook)

BUTUAN CITY, Agusan del Norte – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will start in January 2025 the three-month registration period for gadgets that will be used by Filipinos living or working abroad for the Online Voting and Counting System (OVCS) in the May 2025 midterm polls.

The Comelec will be implementing for the first time the internet or online voting method for overseas Filipinos in select nations.

Postal voting will also be implemented in Philippine posts where there are internet voting restrictions.

“We will be having the enrollment of gadgets beginning January 2025 until April 13. Upon enrollment of gadgets, the registered voter will be given a passcode,” Comelec chair George Garcia said in an interview here.

“This will help make sure that the one who will cast the vote is the actual owner of the device and is the registered voter,” he added.

The one-month voting period for Filipino voters abroad will be on April 13 to May 12, 2025.

As of Jan. 15, the Comelec reported 1.096 million registered overseas voters. The registration period is open until Sept. 30.