Overseas voter registration low — Comelec
THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has failed to achieve its target number of overseas voters, netting only 1,254,240 registrants at the end of the seven-month registration period. Chairman George Erwin Garcia on Monday said he was disappointed with the results, but noted that even in the past, registration was low for midterm elections. COMELEC ROADSHOW Commission on Elections Chairman George Erwin Garcia leads the kickoff of the automated counting machine nationwide roadshow in Manila on Dec. 2, 2024. PHOTO BY RENE H. DILAN The Comelec projected 1.5 million registered overseas voters for the 2025 polls. The number was much lower than the 1.7 million migrant workers spread across 92 Philippine posts around the world who registered for the 2022 elections. "The 1.2 million is low. Really very, very low. Maybe because it is a midterm election, but it increases if it is a presidential and vice-presidential election," Garcia said. Based on records, Garcia said, the biggest number of overseas registrants were recorded in the Middle East, Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai, and the United Arab Emirates, where there are large concentrations of Filipino workers. In areas like the United States and Europe, where Filipinos can apply for dual citizenship, the number of registrants was low, maybe because they feared that registering to vote overseas might hurt their application for other citizenship, he said. Garcia also said he was optimistic that voter turnout among overseas registered voters would be high because internet voting, to be carried out for the first time, would prove to be easy. "Once they experience the ease of voting online. I'm sure the number of overseas voters who will cast their votes will dramatically increase compared to 2022," he added. "For me, if the overseas voter turnout [in 2025] would be higher, that would accomplish our goal," he said. The poll chief said the implementation of internet voting is really meant to increase voter turnout among Filipinos abroad at less cost to the government. Garcia said the Comelec spent more than P400 million for overseas voting in the May 9, 2022 elections but voters' turnout was only 39 percent and even much lower in previous elections. "Spending P411 million (for overseas voting) but resulting in a dismal 39 percent turnout is not value for money... Why are so many overseas Filipinos not voting personally or by mail? Maybe they need another mode," he said. Overseas voters during the 2022 and earlier elections cast their votes either by mail or voted personally at the Philippine embassy or foreign posts where they were registered. Overseas voters, like the local absentee voters, only vote for president, vice president, 12 senators and one party-list group. In the last election, overseas absentee voting started 30 days before the start of the regular elections but simultaneously closed along with the local voting.
Tomas Kauer - Moderator 
THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has failed to achieve its target number of overseas voters, netting only 1,254,240 registrants at the end of the seven-month registration period.
Chairman George Erwin Garcia on Monday said he was disappointed with the results, but noted that even in the past, registration was low for midterm elections. COMELEC ROADSHOW Commission on Elections Chairman George Erwin Garcia leads the kickoff of the automated counting machine nationwide roadshow in Manila on Dec. 2, 2024. PHOTO BY RENE H. DILAN
The Comelec projected 1.5 million registered overseas voters for the 2025 polls. The number was much lower than the 1.7 million migrant workers spread across 92 Philippine posts around the world who registered for the 2022 elections.
"The 1.2 million is low. Really very, very low. Maybe because it is a midterm election, but it increases if it is a presidential and vice-presidential election," Garcia said.
Based on records, Garcia said, the biggest number of overseas registrants were recorded in the Middle East, Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai, and the United Arab Emirates, where there are large concentrations of Filipino workers.
In areas like the United States and Europe, where Filipinos can apply for dual citizenship, the number of registrants was low, maybe because they feared that registering to vote overseas might hurt their application for other citizenship, he said.
Garcia also said he was optimistic that voter turnout among overseas registered voters would be high because internet voting, to be carried out for the first time, would prove to be easy.
"Once they experience the ease of voting online. I'm sure the number of overseas voters who will cast their votes will dramatically increase compared to 2022," he added.
"For me, if the overseas voter turnout [in 2025] would be higher, that would accomplish our goal," he said.
The poll chief said the implementation of internet voting is really meant to increase voter turnout among Filipinos abroad at less cost to the government.
Garcia said the Comelec spent more than P400 million for overseas voting in the May 9, 2022 elections but voters' turnout was only 39 percent and even much lower in previous elections.
"Spending P411 million (for overseas voting) but resulting in a dismal 39 percent turnout is not value for money... Why are so many overseas Filipinos not voting personally or by mail? Maybe they need another mode," he said.
Overseas voters during the 2022 and earlier elections cast their votes either by mail or voted personally at the Philippine embassy or foreign posts where they were registered.
Overseas voters, like the local absentee voters, only vote for president, vice president, 12 senators and one party-list group.
In the last election, overseas absentee voting started 30 days before the start of the regular elections but simultaneously closed along with the local voting.
