PH Embassy in US concludes online voting for OFWs

The Philippine Embassy in Washington DC has concluded the 30-day online voting period for over 9,000 Filipinos in eight Philippine Foreign Services Posts in the United States.

The embassy, in a statement posted on Wednesday morning (Manila time) said, the online process was implemented for the first and that it was "a historic step towards expanding electoral access for Filipinos abroad."

“This is a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to bring not only our government services—but also the democratic process—closer to Filipinos wherever they are in the world,” said Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez in the statement.

“Online voting addresses long-standing challenges faced by our kababayan such as distance, accessibility, and postal delays,” he also said.

Overseas voting was implemented in 2004 and the process has evolved, from in-person voting at the embassy to postal voting adopted in 2019.

"For the first time, registered overseas voters in the United States and the Caribbean were able to securely vote for their senators and party-list representatives online," the embassy said.

Multiple channels were available for voter assistance, including technical support and step-by-step guidance for those accessing the system.

The Embassy’s two Special Boards of Election Inspectors (SBEIs) convened to count the votes cast by 2,016 Filipinos or approximately 6 percent of the 31,000 registered overseas voters under its jurisdiction.

The Embassy’s Special Board of Canvassers (SBOC) canvassed and consolidated the results in the presence of watchers and election observers to ensure the transparency and accountability of the process from all eight Philippine Foreign Services Posts in the United States.

"Out of the 188,519 voters registered across these Posts — from Guam to Washington DC — a total of 9,806 Filipinos cast their digital ballots, reflecting an overall turnout of 5.2 percent," the embassy reported.

“Historically, midterm polls see lower turnout compared to presidential elections,” Romualdez said.

“But we at the Embassy see this as the beginning of a more accessible, secure, and inclusive way of making sure that the voices of overseas Filipinos are heard. I thank our kababayan who participated and helped us implement this system with integrity and trust.”

The full election results will be posted on the Embassy’s premises and can be accessed at https://2025electionresults.comelec.gov.ph/. — BAP, GMA Integrated News

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