OVERSEAS VOTERS SEEN TO HIT 3M AS INTERNET VOTING DRAWS INTEREST

WITH the increasing public interest in internet voting, which officials plan to pilot abroad during the 2025 polls, the Commission on Elections expects the number of overseas voters will rise to 3 million next year.

At a press conference for the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for Overseas Registration and Voting for 2025 National and Local Election (NLE) on Monday, Comelec Chairman George M. Garcia reported there are currently 1.697 million overseas voters.

Of these, 600,000 are deactivated. Another 600,000 or 40.5 percent have cast their votes in the 2022 polls.

“There are about 10 to 15 million Filipinos abroad, but we are sad that only 1.697 million of them have registered to vote for the 2022 elections,” Garcia said.

“Now that we announced the internet voting with your help, we hope to increase the number of voters abroad. The Commission on Elections will be happy if it reaches at least 3 million,” he added.

Information campaign

THE Comelec chief said they will ramp up their information drive later this year to increase the number of overseas voters before the deadline of the ongoing voters registration on September 30, 2024.

He said they signed a MOA with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), Rotary International District 3810, and the Associated Marine Officers’ and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines (Amosup) to increase the number of registered Filipino overseas voters.

Based on their latest data, Garcia said 1,105,000 overseas voters have availed themselves of the ongoing voter’s registration.

“We affirm: A vote not cast, is a voice not heard. And therefore for everybody to be heard, the first step will be the registration [process],” he said.

Third mode

GARCIA said they decided to implement internet voting next year as the third mode of overseas voting—aside from in-person or via mai—to make it more convenient for Filipinos abroad to cast their votes.

Under the proposed internet voting, registered Filipino voters may register their digital devices such as their mobile phones, tablet, or laptops so they can cast their votes through a Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) or touch screen scheme.

Garcia said the mode will be particularly beneficial for Filipino seafarers sailing on international waters.

Comelec is set to conduct its next bidding for its P465-million Online Voting and Counting System (OVCS) contract next month.

Legal issues

THE poll chief maintained Comelec can implement the internet voting under Republic Act (RA) 9369 or the Automated Election System Act.

Citing the result of their legal study on the matter, Garcia said RA 9360 does not prohibit them from venturing to new voting modes aside from in-person and mail voting.

“But it is indicated in the said provision that Comelec may venture to other modes of voting as long as it reports to Congress on the process it is doing for the third voting mode,” Garcia said.

However, he said they hope no one will question their push for internet voting before the Supreme Court so they can push through with its implementation.

Garcia made the remark after it was raised during a Senate hearing that Congress may have to pass the necessary law before internet voting can be implemented by Comelec.