Seafarers’ group wants extended pre-enrollment period for overseas voting

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MANILA, Philippines — A Filipino seafarers’ group representative on Wednesday called on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to extend the pre-enrollment period for the overseas online voting for the 2025 midterm elections.

Atty. Edwin Dela Cruz of the International Seafarers Action Center and Migrante International said that the overseas Filipino voters do not have enough time for the “re-registration.”

“There is now the online but there is not enough time for re-registration. We have registration but now we need to register. There is not enough time given to them. Motion to extend the registration to accommodate overseas absentee voters,” Dela Cruz said in a forum in Makati City.

“The problem also is the lack of information and education on our overseas absentee voters. This lack of information and education is a government neglect or inaction,” Dela Cruz added.

Dela Cruz also said that there should be voting centers in major ports to accommodate around 700,000 Filipino seafarers worldwide. 

Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said that pre-enrollment period for the online voters is necessary to vote for the 2025 elections.

He noted that the 1.3 million registered overseas Filipino voters must pre-enroll so they will be given a password to access the online voting. 

“Properly announced na magkakaroon kami ng internet voting kaya lang, kaunti ang nagregister siguro nga dahil midterm elections. Pag midterm elections, mababa talaga. Sana pagkatest ng internet voting at makitang accurate, reliable at kayang masigurado na maayos at protected ang boto sana tumaas ang bilang ng botante sa 2028,” Garcia pointed out.

(The conduct of internet voting was properly announced, but only a few registered, maybe because it is the midterm elections. Turnout in every midterm election is really low. I hope that once we roll out the internet voting and we see that it is accurate, reliable, and the votes are protected, the voters for 2028 will increase.)

He also said that while voter education is a Comelec obligation, the Department of Foreign Affairs and consulates are at the forefront to ensure voter information for overseas voting. 

 “Sana po matulungan tayo ng Migrante, magpapasimula po tayo ng registration o yung enrollment sa buwan na ito,” Garcia added.

(I hope the Migrante will help us, we will begin pre-enrollment this month.)

Garcia added that there are 77 posts worldwide that offer online voting while 17 posts will use an automated counting machines.

The pre-enrollment period is from March 10, 2025 until May 7, 2025.

Meanwhile, the 30-day overseas online voting period will be from April 13, 2025 to May 12, 2025 at 7 p.m. (Philippine Standard Time).