The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has announced that internet voting will be the primary mode of voting for overseas Filipinos during the 2025 midterm elections.
The decision comes as part of an effort to increase voter turnout and convenience for overseas voters. In countries where internet voting is restricted, such as China, Russia, and Israel, in-person voting or mail-in voting will still be available.
The Comelec is currently in discussions with the governments of 17 countries with internet restrictions to determine the flexibility of the rules.
The mode of casting votes, whether through internet voting, mail, or in-person, will depend on the rules per country and the distance of the voter from the embassy or consulate.
The Comelec hopes that the shift to internet voting will result in a higher voter turnout among overseas Filipinos, which was 34.88% in the 2022 elections.
There are approximately 1.6 million registered overseas Filipino voters. The exact technology to be used for internet voting has not been specified yet.
Source: PhilNews24 | April 3, 2024
