Internet voting will be the primary mode of voting for overseas Filipinos during the 2025 midterm elections. 

This is the plan the Commission on Elections (Comelec) laid out as it held the second round of bidding for the P465.8-million Online Voting and Counting System (OVCS), the second largest contract for next year’s polls.

“Magaganap lamang ang ating sinasabi na in-person voting or mail-in voting doon sa mga bansa na hindi pinapayagan ang pag-conduct ng internet voting gaya nga po sa China, sa Russia at sa Israel,” Comelec spokesperson Atty. John Rex Laudiangco said at the sidelines of the event.

(In-person voting or mail-in voting will only happen in countries where internet voting is restricted such as China, Russia, and Israel). 

Out of 92 posts abroad, there are 17 countries with internet restrictions and Comelec is still trying to talk to their governments to find out if the rules are flexible.

The poll body will also determine the mode of casting votes, whether internet voting, via mail, or in-person, depending on the rules per country and the distance of a voter from the embassy or consulate.

According to Laudiangco, they opted to shift to internet voting for overseas Filipinos for convenience and hopefully, a better voter turnout.

“Ito po yung talagang hiling po ng ating mga kababayang OFWs. Una, yung ating mga seafarers at marino na hindi sa lahat ng pagkakataon tuwing halalan, na nasa lupa sila para makaboto sa mga konsulada o kaya po sa embahada,” he said.

(This is what our OFWs requested. First, our seafarers during elections, are not always on land to cast their vote in consulates or embassies.)

The Comelec also hopes that the more than 600,000 voter turnout in 2022 will increase. There are 1.6 million registered overseas Filipino voters during the last presidential elections. 

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SAFETY OF INTERNET VOTING 

An overseas voter has to enroll one gadget to vote online. Laudiangco said the platform would be like a smartphone application that is easy to navigate.

“Sisiguraduhin po ng Comelec na napakadali po at user-friendly ang ating pagboto,” he said. “Kung tayo po ay nakakagamit ng smartphone, nakapagpi-Facebook, nakapag-cha-chat po tayo, at lalong lalo na kung nakakapag-online banking… ganoon kasimple lang din po ang gagawin ng Comelec sa internet voting.”

(Comelec will ensure that this will be easy and user-friendly. Internet voting will be as easy as using a smartphone, Facebook, chatting, and doing online banking.)

Laudiangco also guaranteed the safety and security of the system they would procure.

Aside from enrolling for internet voting to authenticate one’s personal information and gadget, a voter will also be required to have a PIN. Facial recognition is not a requirement but it is a feature that will be present in the system.

“Kung napagkakatiwalaan niyo ang mga financial at banking institutions sa inyong mga pera ay mapagkakatiwalaan niyo rin po ang sistemang pino-procure ng Comelec dahil ang priority po dito ay security at auditability,” he added. 

(If you trust financial and banking institutions with your money, you can also trust the system that Comelec is procuring because our priority is security and auditability.)

A voter receipt will be shown through the app after voting to ensure that the correct votes were recorded.

Should voters encounter difficulties, they could still go to embassies o consulates where there would be a kiosk for internet voting.

Overseas Filipino voters will be given 30 days before the May 12 elections to cast their votes.

Four companies submitted their bids for the OVCS, including Indra Soluciones Technologias De La Information, S.L.U.; the joint venture of SMS Global Technologies, Inc. and Sequent Tech Inc.; joint venture of Voatz Inc., EPLDT, Inc., and eBizolution, Inc.; and joint venture of AMA Group-Dasan-Kevoting.

Their eligibility will be determined as their bids were opened earlier on Tuesday. 

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OTHER CONTRACTS 

Other contracts for the 2025 midterm elections include the Full Automation System with Transparency Audit/Count (FASTrAC) and transmission.

The joint venture of South Korean firm Miru Systems Company is currently in the customization phase for the FASTrAC project.

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The Special Bids and Awards Committee, meanwhile, has submitted its recommendation to the Comelec En Banc to award the transmission contract to iOne Resources, Inc., after finding it compliant. The committee is awaiting the final decision on this.

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