Comelec debunks claim 17 million voters overvoted in 2025 polls

Comelec headquarters in Intramuros, Manila. INQUIRER FILES

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has refuted claims that 17 million voters overvoted for the 2025 midterm elections.

The Comelec clarified that the 17 million overvotes do not mean that there are 17 million voters who overvoted for the position of senator.

The poll body explained that a voter can overvote more than 12 candidates for the senatorial race.

“Because of this, the 17 million “overvotes” need to be divided among 12 to get the actual overvote incidents,” Comelec said in Filipino in a statement.

READ: Comelec: 1.3 million voters overvoted in 2025 polls

Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garia earlier said that about 1.3 million out of the 57 million voters overvoted in the recent elections, noting that the “17 million overvotes refer to the votes not given to 12 senators, whoever they are.”

Garcia’s clarification came after former Comelec commissioner Rowena Guanzon cast doubt on the figures of overvoting, citing data from the National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections that overvote for senators reached 17,028,780.

READ: Comelec: No proclamation yet for BH Party-list amid DQ case dismissal

Garcia also noted that overvoting for a certain position will not affect the votes given to other positions in the ballot.

The Comelec recorded the highest voter turnout for midterm elections in Philippine history at 82.20 percent. This represents 57,350,968 out of 69,673,653 registered voters.

The 12 winning senators were proclaimed at the Manila Hotel Tent City last May 17 while the proclamation for the party-lists was held last May 19 at the same venue. /das