Public urged to help verify 2025 election returns via NAMFREL app

Filipinos were urged Thursday to help verify the transmitted election returns of the 2025 local and national elections through an app of the National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL).

With the NAMFREL 2025 app, the public can contribute to verifying the transmitted election results at different polling sites by scanning the QR codes of election returns posted outside a precinct on election day.

“Every voter should be an observer. You can do this even if you are not a NAMFREL volunteer. We especially encourage young people, and even local candidates and their supporters to download and use the NAMFREL 2025 app to ensure that the votes in their communities are verified via the NAMFREL OQC 2025," NAMFREL National chairperson Lito Averia said at a press conference.

The app can be downloaded in Apple Store or Google Play Store.

Here are the steps in using the app:

In the app, click “start scanning”

• Scan the five QR codes found in the election returns one at a time
• Click the “scan” button, and a message will appear below the “photo saved”
• Click “end scan” once the five QR codes are scanned. A message “total scanned: 5” will appear
• Click “upload data”

As one of the accredited citizens' arms of the Commission on Elections, NAMFREL will be receiving transmitted election results in real time, which can be viewed on its website.

Meanwhile, the election returns posted outside the precincts will be printed prior to transmission.

The citizen-led poll watchdog will then cross-check the results scanned in the NAMFREL 2025 app with the transmitted results from the same polling place.

The results of NAMFREL’s cross-checking can be viewed on its website.

NAMFREL systems head Fernando Contreras Jr. said results may come out by Monday evening.

“Sa tingin ko kung walang magiging problema sa systema, by evening malamang malaman na natin yung resulta kung malayo yung lamang nung mga nangungunang kandidato pero kung dikit, hindi natin masasabi agad,” Contreras said.

(I think if there’s no problem with the system, we will know the results by evening, but if the difference is close among candidates, we cannot say immediately.)

Election day will be on May 12, 2025. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News

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