Filipinos in US, UAE gear up for online voting in Eleksyon 2025

NEW YORK/ABU DHABI — Overseas Filipinos will begin voting for new senators and party-list representatives on Sunday for the 2025 midterm elections.

Over 1.2 million Filipinos abroad are eligible to vote via internet voting.

Registered voters have begun arriving at the New York consulate to seek assistance in enrolling and voting using the designated kiosk for online voting.

According to New York Consul General Senen Mangalile, consulate personnel are on standby to assist voters experiencing difficulties with the new technology.

The kiosk will remain open from Monday to Sunday to assist voters who may encounter problems during enrollment or while casting their votes.

More than 31,000 overseas voters across 10 East Coast states are under the jurisdiction of the Philippine Consulate General in New York.

Photo: Dave Llavanes Jr.

Vice Consul Kevin Mark Gomez, head of the Special Board of Inspectors in the Abu Dhabi Philippine Embassy precinct, said the embassy is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, even during the Lenten holidays, to assist registered Filipino overseas voters.

“We encourage them to use their own devices for security reasons, as they will have to access their email addresses, QR code, and OTP. But again, if they prefer to come and use the laptops, we are ready to assist them,” Vice Consul Atty. Regatta Marie Antonio Escutin said.

For registered voters lacking the necessary requirements to enroll online, Mangalile advised them to immediately coordinate with the consulate.

Enrollment and voting will continue until May 7. The voting period is from April 13 to May 12 (Election Day).

''The first step to participate in online voting is to enroll. All you need is a smartphone, tablet, or even a PC — as long as it has a camera and microphone. The most important requirement is a valid identification document. This can be a Philippine passport, a Philippine driver’s license, an Integrated Bar of the Philippines ID (for lawyers), or a Seaman’s Book (for seafarers),'' Mangalile said.

''If you have an expired Philippine passport because you're a dual citizen and haven't applied for a new one, you can still use it as it can verify your identity. If you don’t have any of those, but you are a dual citizen, you likely have an Identification Certificate from your oath of allegiance. Just reach out to us, and we’ll manually verify your identity and enroll you in the system," he added.

''If all else fails — no ID, no certificate — send us an email. You’ll find our direct contact on the website for online voting assistance. We’ll do everything we can to ensure you can vote.”

Voters struggling with the new internet voting system may also seek help from family members, provided that the actual act of voting remains private and unassisted.

“For our kababayans who are digitally challenged or not tech-savvy — even though the system is user-friendly — we understand that limitation,” Mangalile added. “Ask for help from your family members or housemates. That’s allowed, as long as the actual act of voting remains private and is done solely by you.”

Voters have only three minutes to complete their online ballot — selecting 12 senators and one party-list group — so it's important to prepare a list in advance.

If they fail to complete the process within the three-minute time limit, the connection to the Comelec app will automatically cut off, and the voter will have to redo the process.

Mangalile also said that Filipino registered voters who have acquired American citizenship but are not dual citizens are no longer eligible to vote — and may face criminal charges if they attempt to do so.

Mixed reactions

Voter reactions to the new online system are mixed.

Teacher Ernie Pamolarco expressed doubts about the system, saying he tried multiple times to enroll but encountered repeated errors on the Comelec website.

“I tried several times, but it kept giving me an error. It said I wasn’t recognized. I even thought I might no longer be on the list. But I checked —I’m still registered because I never miss elections. That’s why I’m here now. I want to ask the higher-ups if there's an option to vote manually instead. Because the question is: do we want to deprive OFWs of the right to vote, or do we want everyone to be able to vote? Isn’t suffrage the right to vote and to be voted for? ”

Edna Tiernan shared similar sentiments, noting that only the newer generation might embrace the online method.

“Some people like it, but others don’t really understand the new technology. So how will they vote? It’s not easy for them. Maybe the younger generation can handle it, but for me, I still prefer the old-school, manual voting. Electronic systems open more possibilities for cheating—and I believe that’s what happened in the last election. My prayer is that this election will be honest and clean.”

But for teacher Catalina Suarte, the enrollment process was straightforward, as long as the voter had the required documents.

“It’s so simple. I love it! I hope it stays this way every year. We’ll see how the actual voting goes, but so far, enrollment has been smooth. As long as you have your passport or any required document, they’ll accommodate you. Even if you don’t have a passport, they’ll do manual verification.”

Meanwhile, Philippine Ambassador to the UAE Alfonso Ferdinand Ver expressed concern about the low number of overseas Filipinos who completed their pre-voting online enrollment.

Latest figures from the Commission on Elections showed that out of the 1.2 million registered overseas Filipino workers all over the globe, only 48,000 have pre-enrolled.

Out of 189,892 registered voters in the UAE, the highest number of any overseas post, only 6,963 successfully registered for online voting, or 3.95%, as of 9 a.m. Saturday, April 12, Ver said.

“I can always feel that sa 48,000 online voters na yun, 15% dun ay from the UAE. Importante we are getting this chance to make the voting easier to allow everyone not to be disenfranchised, and I’m asking for your help,” he said.

(I can always feel that of the 48,000 online voters so far, 15% are from the UAE. What is important is that we are getting this chance to make voting easier to allow everyone not to be disenfranchised, and I’m asking for your help.)

Over the next 30 days, the Philippine Embassy will intensify their consular outreach activities through social media platforms, community organizations, and Filipino centers across the UAE to encourage voter participation.

In New York, Mangalile urged Filipinos to help spread the word about the new voting system.

“Please help us spread the word. We’ve done our part — sent out thousands of emails. Some bounced, which means some voters didn’t receive them. Please help us inform others that they need to enroll and vote online. There will be no paper ballots," Mangalile said. — VBL, GMA Integrated News

For more Eleksyon 2025 related content and updates, visit GMA News Online's Eleksyon 2025 microsite.