The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has officially extended the enrollment period for internet voting for overseas Filipinos until May 10, 2025, in response to concerns raised by various migrant groups.
Originally set from March 20 to May 7, the pre-enrollment period is a mandatory step for registered overseas voters who wish to participate in the country’s first-ever online voting system. According to Comelec, the extension will give more Filipinos abroad a chance to complete the process and cast their votes online in the upcoming 2025 national elections.
“This is to accommodate more of our kababayans who have yet to enroll so they can participate in our internet voting,” Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said in a recent interview.
The move follows appeals from overseas voter organizations who cited several issues including lack of awareness, limited consultations, and technical glitches encountered during initial access to the online platform.
To date, around 200,000 overseas Filipinos have completed the pre-enrollment requirement, while the total number of registered overseas voters for the 2025 elections is approximately 1.3 million.
The actual internet voting period runs from April 13 to May 12, 2025 (Philippine Standard Time). Only those who successfully pre-enroll will be eligible to access the COMELEC Voting Portal and cast their ballots online.
To join, voters must verify their registration status on the Certified List of Overseas Voters (CLOV), complete the online pre-enrollment, and provide necessary identification and documentation, including a photo and short video verification.
