Preparations Underway for Philippine Midterm Elections
The Philippine Consulate-General in Dubai has successfully completed the Final Lockdown and Sealing (FLS) of the Online Voting and Counting System (OVCS) equipment, paving the way for the upcoming midterm elections. This initiative, which will kick off on April 13, aims to streamline the voting process for Filipino citizens living abroad.
The FLS serves as a verification step to confirm that the OVCS is fully operational for the 2025 Philippine midterm elections. Notably, this election will introduce internet voting for the first time, eliminating the need for voters to physically line up at Philippine diplomatic missions to cast their votes.
Key Details for Voters
Filipino citizens registered in the UAE must pre-enroll on the Philippine Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) voting platform by May 7 to qualify for voting. They will have the opportunity to elect 12 senators and a party-list representative.
- Official Election Day: May 12, 2025
- Online Voting Period: April 13 to May 12, 2025
- Eligible Devices for Voting: Mobile phones, tablets, laptops, or desktop computers equipped with cameras and internet access.
Should voters encounter any issues with online voting, they will still have the option to vote in person at the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi or the Consulate-General in Dubai.
To participate in this new online voting system, eligible voters must be registered as overseas voters under one of the 77 Philippine posts worldwide facilitating this initiative. The Philippine missions in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai are among the designated locations in the Middle East supporting this modern voting method.