Overseas voting registration for Filipinos ends Monday

Last-minute registrants in the 2021 OVR waited for hours to get up to the Consulate 

Filipinos in Hong Kong who have not yet registered for the landmark internet voting for next year’s mid-term elections in the Philippines have only two more days to so.

The registration ends in all overseas posts on Sept. 30, Monday, which means that those who are in Hong Kong have only Sunday and Monday to get their names registered at the Consulate offices on the 14^th and 29^th floor of United Centre building in Admiralty, as they will be closed on Friday and Saturday.

Registered voters will get the chance to vote for 12 senators and one party-list in next year’s overseas election, which will last from April 13 to May 12, 2025.

Pindutin para sa detalye

Those who need to register include first-time overseas voters and those who were de-registered for failing to vote in the previous two elections.

They must be Filipino citizens, are at least 18 years of age on or before the election on May 12, 2025 and are not registered to vote in any other places overseas.

To register, they need to accomplish the Overseas Voter Registration Form (which can be downloaded online) and personally submit the form to the Consulate for the taking of their biometrics, including their photo and thumb prints.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

They should bring with them a valid Philippine passport (and photocopy) and HKID. In the absence of a valid Philippine passport, the registrant should obtain a certification issued by the Consulate that it has received and reviewed the appropriate documents submitted by the applicant and found them sufficient to warrant the issuance of a passport, or that the applicant is a holder of a valid passport but is unable to produce the same for a valid reason;

The registration period for overseas voters started on Dec 9, 2022, or six months after the last general election.

Overseas voting for Filipinos this year will be done exclusively online, except in places where the internet connection is deemed unstable, like in China.

Internet voting is seen to boost the number of overseas voters

The Commission on Elections said during a briefing held in Hong Kong earlier this year that there will be a pre-enrolment period 60 days before the start of voting period on Apr 13 next year.

This is to ensure that the one who will cast the actual vote is the registered voter.

The voter will have to upload his/her document, then wait for verification from the Philippine Consulate, before being given access to the ballot online.

Philippine officials tasked with administering the overseas vote are encouraging Filipinos abroad to grab the chance of making a difference in the task of charting the country’s future.

Basahin ang detalye!

With an estimated 11 million potential voters overseas, internet voting could allow them to have a big  impact on the outcome of the election.

Over the years, overseas voting has lost its shine for most lawmakers because of the low registration numbers and even lower turnout.

Out of an estimated 11 million Filipinos overseas, only 1,693,813 registered to vote in the 2022 elections. And out of these registered voters, only 663,188 actually voted - or a turnout of 39.15 percent.

With internet voting, it is expected that the turnout would be much higher – but only if more people registered on or before the Monday deadline  

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