The Philippine Consulate General in Dubai has clarified through an official social media post that there will be no manual voting at the Consulate or Embassy for the upcoming 2025 National and Local Elections. The post emphasized that online voting is the sole mode of voting for Filipinos in the UAE, which is among the 77 Philippine Foreign Service Posts authorized to implement internet voting.
According to the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), this shift aims to make the voting process faster, more convenient, and accessible to overseas Filipinos. The online voting period will run from April 13 to May 12, 2025 (3:00 p.m. UAE Time). Only registered overseas voters whose names appear on the Certified List of Overseas Voters (CLOV) and who have successfully completed pre-enrollment by May 7, 2025, will be allowed to vote.
The Consulate also reminded the public that only illiterate voters, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, and senior citizens may receive assistance and use the online voting kiosk at the Consulate or Embassy. However, even these voters must still pre-enroll and use their own online accounts, as the voting system remains fully digital.
The online pre-enrollment process is simple and accessible via ov.comelec.gov.ph/enroll, where users can follow a step-by-step guide. The Consulate advised voters to use a smartphone with a clear camera and a valid email address to ensure successful registration and receipt of the system’s one-time password (OTP).
For those who receive a “disapproved” status during enrollment, the Consulate explained that this could be due to unregistered or deactivated voter status, often caused by failure to vote in the last two elections (2019 midterm and 2022 presidential). Additionally, only those physically outside the Philippines are eligible to pre-enroll and vote online.
Voters may verify their registration status via the CLOV links provided by the Consulate and Embassy or check the COMELEC website. For further questions, voters are encouraged to email ovs@pcgdubai.ae (Dubai), abudhabioav@gmail.com (Abu Dhabi), or overseasvoting@comelec.gov.ph for other concerns.
