Pre-enrollment period for overseas internet voting extended until May 10

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has extended the pre-enrollment period for overseas internet voting until May 10.

The Comelec made this announcement through a resolution released on Tuesday. The Comelec previously set the pre-enrollment period from March 20, 2025 to May 7, 2025. 

READ: Comelec reminds overseas voters of pre-enrollment period for 2025 polls

Overseas registered Filipino voters are required to register in the pre-enrollment before they can vote.

This allows the poll body to verify their identity for the first online voting system. 

This came after several groups called on the Comelec to extend the pre-enrollment period after raising several concerns in the online voting such as lack of online voting awareness, lack of consultation among overseas electorates, and technical difficulties in the voting system. 

READ: ‘Disenfranchisement’: Overseas Filipinos bare online voting mishaps

“‘Yan ay para mas mapagbigyan pa yung mga kababayan nating hindi pa nag-eenrol at makaboto po sila sa ating internet voting,” Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said in an interview on Tuesday. 

(This is to give the Filipinos abroad who have not yet enrolled and voted enough time to do so.)

Garcia also shared that around 200,000 Filipinos abroad have participated in the pre-enrollment requirement. Around 1.3 million Filipinos overseas registered for the upcoming elections. 

The 30-day voting period for overseas Filipinos is set from April 13, 2025 to May 12, 2025 (Philippine Standard Time).