NEW VOTERS. A Commission on Elections staff member assists students as they register for the first time during the Voter Education and Registration Fair at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila on March 14, 2024. The poll body is implementing the Register Anywhere Program nationwide to make signing up easier and accessible. (PNA photo by Yancy Lim)
MANILA – Commission on Elections (Comelec) chair George Garcia on Saturday reiterated calls to Filipinos overseas to register and participate in the 2025 midterm elections.
Speaking before the Online Voting and Counting System (OVCS) training/internet voting information drive in Busan, South Korea, Garcia said unregistered voters have until Sept. 30 to sign up.
So far, the Comelec already registered 1.2 million overseas Filipinos.
There are also 600,000 deactivated overseas voters.
“Pakisabi po sa mga hindi pa nakakapagparehistro dito sa South Korea, magparehistro sapagkat internet voting naman. Hindi na kelangang pumunta pa ng post (Please tell those who have not yet registered here in South Korea to register because it is internet voting. There is no need to go to the post [to vote]),” Garcia told the participants.
Comelec earlier expressed hope to achieve 70 to 80 percent overseas voter turnout for the 2025 midterm polls, with the pilot implementation of OVCS.
The OVCS will no longer require Filipinos abroad to physically go to Philippine posts or mail their ballots.
In the 2025 elections, overseas voters will be voting only for senators and party-list representatives. (PNA)
