Glitches mar process in Thailand as overseas online voting begins

Online voting has begun. But reports from Thailand depict `glitchy’ process. File photo

BANGKOK, Thailand — Dr. Analiza Amurao, Filipino professor from Mahidol University in Thailand voted online on April 16, four days after the official online voting started.

However, she already questioned the reliability and credibility of this “historic” voting. In her message, accompanied by a screenshot of the online ballot, she showed that it seemed that a certain party list appeared to have no clickable button, unlike others.

“My voting experience of having a party-list’s name listed as one of the options typed in a ghosted text, such that you can read it together with other party lists yet it wasn’t provided with an option to tick it, came as highly suspicious. What was that? If it was one of the options, why could you not click it? Although the voting system reported to me who I voted for, I wonder how my vote would actually translate when tallied by the board of canvassers later,” Dr. Amurao said.

READ: Comelec: Overseas voting for 2025 elections begins

Some voters also expressed disappointment over the encrypted list, as the names of senators they did not vote for appeared upon clicking the ballot locator link.

With 1.241 million overseas voters scattered in 93 Philippine embassies and consulates around the world, the doubts are valid. However, only 77 posts will be allowed to vote online, where 98 percent of overseas voters are registered. The remaining 16 smaller posts will receive the postal ballots or can vote on site-at their respective embassies or consulates.

These posts are located in countries with high security risks such as Russia, Mainland China, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and
Libya.

As of April 20, only 6.5% have registered according to COMELEC Office for Overseas Voting Director Ian Geonanga during a Zoom session sponsored by the Center for Migrant Advocacy (CMA).

In Thailand, the Philippine Embassy reported on its website that there are 8,156 registered voters as of December 6, 2024

During the session, Director Ian Geonanga, answered some of the questions, like Dr. Amurao’s and denied any allegations that the online voting is rigged or the senators and party list are already pre-determined.

READ: 2025 polls: Comelec assures online overseas voting is ‘protected’

Ballot locator

According to Dir Geonanga, the voters see the encrypted list. They cannot see the names of the candidates they voted for. The random lists of all the candidates the voter did not vote, but appeared, though not alphabetically. The purpose of the ballot locator is to confirm that vote was already cast.

The only individuals who can decrypt that are the poll workers when the voting finished on May 12.“Different post, has different arrangement depending on the location of the voter and the ballot ID. For example, voters in New York can see the same format or plain text file in their ballots, while if you were in Singapore, it is also different,” he said.

Regarding the party-list option without clickable option, Dir Geonanga said that they checked the screenshot of the ballot and also checked specific devices. They found that the party-list question contains a special character (@), which certain devices interpret differently resulting in no visible clickable option. However, if you select that party-list, the color will change to blue, indicating that is has already been shaded.

READ: Filipino seafarers group representives want to extended period for overseas voting

Director Geonanga also mentioned that during the test voting general security measures are adopted to ensure a clean and fair election. He said that NAMFREL and Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) checked the online ballots cast during the test voting. The same measure will be applied again when the voting closes on May 12.

Choice for online voting

Despite the resistance of OFWs to online voting, Dir. Geonanga explained that it is the most feasible option due to the distance of the designated posts in countries where workers are unable travel for some reasons. Although overseas voting lasts for one month, many OFWs cannot easily leave their work.

“The internet voting was well coordinated with embassies and consulates, as well as the Filipino
communities,” he said.

He also mentioned that postal balloting has financial challenges, along with thousands of returned ballots because voters either left their host countries or changed addresses.

Director Geonanga also noted that in countries like China, particularly in Hongkong and Singapore, the local laws do not allow political gatherings. The long lines of Filipinos queuing to vote at embassies are still considered political gatherings, and therefore not allowed.

Who can vote online?

The COMELEC reminds the OFWs that only registered overseas voters are eligible to register and vote online. During the online registration process, voters must select the country where they were previously registered.

If a voter was registered in Thailand, but has since moved to Malaysia, they must still select Thailand to be able to vote. If the voter is already in the Philippines, they can no longer vote online.

The system works only abroad. Is online voting credible?

Despite the COMELEC’s assurance of its credibility, overseas Filipino voters as well as advocates doubts the system.
Ellene Sana of CMA, said that there are still significant gaps in the implementation of internet voting, particularly in terms of information dissemination and building voter confidence in the system’s security features against hacking, fraud, and manipulation of results.

The distrust may have led to low-turnout of pre-voting enrollment.

Sana also mentioned that many voters mistakenly believe that being registered is enough, unaware that pre-enrollment is required for online voting. Limited access to technology, especially among older generations who are not familiar with devices also hinders participation.

But these should not be the reason why they cannot vote.

“While efforts to modernize the Philippines’ voting system are commendable, it is important for both the voters and the government through the COMELEC to make sure that the system is transparent and the reporting system accessible. Use of technology can always be subject to glitches and other undesirable results,” Dr. Amurao said.

Share feedback

Meanwhile, Sana encouraged the public to document their experiences with the 2025 internet voting process and share their feedback with COMELEC to help improve the system for the 2028 presidential elections.

Philippine Embassies with the coordination of COMELEC have designated mobile kiosk and outreach centers where the OFWs can be assisted to register online and to vote on the same day, since, pre-voting is already finished.

In Thailand, the Philippine Embassy announces on its Facebook page that they have online voting kiosk at the Embassy available only to registered Filipino overseas voters who are persons with disability; senior citizens; pregnant; and technologically challenged or not knowledgeable with smartphones or computers.

The kiosk is open starting April 13 to May 12 from 8 am until 6 pm.