Comelec says 93 overseas voting posts successfully opened for midterm polls

ALL OVERSEAS voting posts for the 2025 midterm elections have successfully opened, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said on Monday.

Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia told reporters in a Viber chat that all 93 diplomatic posts have opened voting for their respective jurisdictions with the last Online Voting and Counting System post, located at the Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu, Hawaii, operating at around 2 a.m. Manila time (8 a.m. Honolulu time).

The 2025 elections mark the first time internet voting is implemented for overseas Filipinos, launching in 77 diplomatic posts. The remaining 16 posts utilized automated counting machines.

The remaining 16 posts, which utilized automated counting machines, completed the opening procedures for overseas voting early Monday, Mr. Garcia said.

He added that the total number of enrolled voters as of Monday, 5 a.m. stood at 54,575.

There are more than 1.6 million Filipinos registered to vote overseas.

The overseas voting window will remain open until May 12, 7 p.m. Manila time, aligning with the election day in the Philippines, when 68 million Filipinos will cast their votes.

Filipinos will elect members of the House of Representatives, 12 of the 24-member Senate, and thousands of local government officials. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana