Despite a shift to online voting aimed at making the process easier and more accessible, the recently concluded Philippine midterm elections saw a "dismal" turnout among overseas Filipinos, particularly in the United States.

With only 5% voter turnout out of more than 190,000 registered voters across the U.S., Caribbean, Polynesia, and Micronesia, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel “Babe” Romualdez called the numbers “really quite dismal.”

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"I don’t know to what we can attribute this… perhaps there’s a change in the way their voting system is. We thought it’s much easier, but I think the information was not communicated enough,” said Ambassador Romualdez in an interview.

"You can actually vote through your cell phone or through your… iPad or your computer."

The 2025 midterms marked the first time overseas absentee voting was conducted entirely online, removing the mail-in ballot option that had been used for years. 

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While the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) implemented the change with the goal of modernization and convenience, Romualdez acknowledged the rollout was not ideal. 

“The fact that we were able to do this in a very short time… even if we didn’t get that many people to latch on to it, bottom line is that if we have enough time, and we have just enough resources to disseminate that kind of information… I think we’re going to have a big block of overseas voters that’s ready,” he said.

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Longtime voter advocate and Filipinos for Good Governance leader Eric Lachica echoed those concerns, describing his own experience as frustrating and time-consuming. 

“Out of the 180,000 plus U.S.-based Filipino voters, only less than 10,000 voted… That’s about 5%. Talagang pahirapan. I tried six times to enroll online,” said Lachica, who ended up going to the consulate in Washington, D.C. to get help registering with the Comelec laptop.

“We were only informed what, two weeks ago, that they would provide in-person assistance,” he added. 

“Many of our friends… never got the email confirming their password so they could vote.”

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Lachica warned of widespread "disenfranchisement” among overseas Filipinos, which he said may prompt a formal Senate inquiry.

“I’m not surprised that Senator Koko Pimentel… set up an inquiry regarding the disenfranchisement of the millions of Filipino overseas voters,” he said. “Apparently [Comelec] just did the internet voting without the approval or the testing required by Philippine law.”

While Romualdez believes technology is the future — even advocating for nationwide adoption in the Philippines — he acknowledged the need for better preparation.

“If we get ourselves up to speed… it will really make things much easier for all our voters,” he said. “We can get the right kind of voting system that will really help the country move forward in terms of choosing the right leaders.”

Lachica, however, urged a return to a hybrid system, combining both online and traditional mail-in ballots to restore confidence.

“I’m shocked that the Comelec did not have their IT department send out an email blast… That would have alleviated many of the logistical problems,” he said. “If a mail-in system is the best way to go to restore confidence… so be it.”

Despite the low turnout, overseas results showed a distinct trend. Progressive candidates like Bam Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan led the U.S. vote count, in contrast to results in the Philippines.

“Even with the low turnout… my first choice and second choice won,” said Lachica. “Pam and Kiko have come out to the United States over the years and made a lot of friends.”

Both Romualdez and Lachica emphasized that the 2028 presidential election could be a turning point — not just for the Philippines, but for global relations.

"Whoever the people vote [for]… is very important because of the geopolitical situation we face today,” Romualdez said. “What’s at stake here is not only what happens in our country — what happens in the world will really affect us."

Lachica added a final call to action for Filipino dual citizens and overseas workers.

“We are the best and the brightest of the Philippines. We’ve been exported… to work here in the U.S., the Middle East, and Europe. We should take advantage of our vote,” he said. “This is the best way we can affect the course of Philippine history for the better.”

Filipinos worldwide can also stay updated on election-related news and results via the Halalan page on ABS-CBN.com.