Great news for Filipinos based overseas as COMELEC has announced that Pinoys abroad can now participate in the national elections through online voting starting 2025. Certified overseas voters can exercise their right in a more efficient manner online.
Through the Online Voting and Counting System (OVCS), eligible overseas voters can cast their votes securely and conveniently without having to physically go to their designated embassies or consulates. Take note that currently, there are only 77 diplomatic locations offering internet voting, but this number is expected to increase in the future.
In order to vote online, you need to have registered as an overseas voter (deadline was September 2024) and then pre-enroll for the online voting system between March 10 to May 12, 2025.
Please follow the guidelines of the OCVS on how you can cast your online voting.
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What is OVCS?
Introduced by the Commission on Elections (Comelec), the OVCS allows Filipino citizens residing or working abroad to securely cast their votes online. This system leverages digital technology to provide an accessible, efficient, and secure voting experience, directly addressing the challenges of time, distance, and accessibility for overseas voters.
The OCVS enables Filipinos abroad to participate in national elections seamlessly. With its user-friendly interface and secure features, OVCS eliminates the obstacles of traditional voting methods such as mail-in ballots or in-person voting, making it simpler for overseas Filipinos to exercise their right to vote.
Key Features of the System
The OVCS comes with several critical features designed to ensure a smooth voting process for Filipinos overseas:
- Secure Login: Each voter uses their unique credentials for authentication.
- Device Compatibility: Accessible on smartphones, tablets, and computers with a stable internet connection.
- Real-Time Vote Confirmation: Voters receive immediate confirmation once their ballot is submitted.
- Test Voting Period: A trial phase is available for voters to familiarize themselves with the platform before the official voting starts.
Advantages for Overseas Filipinos
The OVCS simplifies the voting process and creates opportunities for greater civic participation:
- Convenience: No need to travel long distances to vote in person.
- Time-Saving: Eliminates delays associated with postal voting.
- Global Access: Enables participation from virtually anywhere with an internet connection.
Enrollment and Voting Period
Pre-Enrollment Phase / Online Registration
To participate in online voting, eligible overseas Filipinos must complete the pre-enrollment process between March 10, 2025, and May 12, 2025. This involves providing a valid ID, live photo capture for identity verification, and other personal details through an official enrollment form. Once pre-enrollment is completed, voters receive confirmation and access credentials for the voting portal.
Voting Dates
The official voting period begins April 13, 2025, and ends on May 12, 2025, at 7:00 PM Philippine Standard Time. Voters can log into the portal, select their candidates, and submit their votes from the convenience of their location.
Eligibility Requirements
To vote using OVCS, individuals must:
- Be a registered overseas Filipino voter.
- Reside in a country with one of the 77 Philippine diplomatic posts offering online voting services.
- Provide valid identification and undergo identity verification during pre-enrollment.
List of Places where the OCVS Posts is Available in 2025
As mentioned, there will be 77 diplomatic posts that facilitate online voting during the 2025 national elections. This number comprises of 67 Philippine embassies, 10 consulates. Please see the regions/countries below.
As of 2025, the following Philippine diplomatic missions have confirmed the implementation of the OVCS:
Asia & Pacific Region
- Bangkok – Thailand
- Beijing – China (Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Henan, Shandong, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Xinjiang, Tibet, Sichuan)
- Brunei – Brunei Darussalam
- Canberra – Australia (Canberra, Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia)
- Chongqing – China (Chongqing, Guizhou, Yunnan)
- Dhaka – Bangladesh
- Dili – Timor-Leste
- Guangzhou – China (Guangdong, Guangxi Zhuang, Hainan, Hunan)
- Hanoi – Vietnam
- Hong Kong – Hong Kong SAR
- Islamabad – Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan
- Jakarta – Indonesia
- Kuala Lumpur – Malaysia
- Macau – Macau SAR
- Manado – Indonesia (North & East Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Maluku, Papua, West Papua)
- MECO Kaohsiung – Taiwan (Kaohsiung, Chiayi, Tainan, Pingtung)
- MECO Taichung – Taiwan (Miaoli, Changhua, Taichung, Nantou)
- MECO Taipei – Taiwan (Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan)
- Melbourne – Australia (South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria)
- Nagoya – Japan (Aichi, Fukui, Gifu, Ishikawa, Nagano, Niigata, Shizuoka, Toyama, Yamanashi)
- New Delhi – India, Nepal, Bhutan
- Osaka – Japan (Ehime, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Hyogo, Kagawa, Kagoshima, Kochi, Kumamoto, Kyoto)
- Phnom Penh – Cambodia
- Port Moresby – Papua New Guinea, Kiribati, Solomon Islands
- Seoul – South Korea, Mongolia
- Singapore – Singapore
- Sydney – Australia (New South Wales, New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna)
- Tokyo – Japan (Akita, Aomori, Chiba, Fukushima, Gunma, Hokkaido, Ibaraki, Iwate)
- Vientiane – Laos
- Wellington – New Zealand, Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, French Polynesia
- Xiamen – China (Fujian, Jiangxi)
- Yangon – Myanmar
Europe
- Athens – Greece, Cyprus, North Macedonia
- Barcelona – Spain (Outside Barcelona, Aragon, Andorra, Comunidad Valenciana, Cataluña)
- Berlin – Germany (Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Saxony)
- Berne – Switzerland, Liechtenstein
- Brussels – Belgium, Luxembourg
- Budapest – Hungary, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Bulgaria
- Copenhagen – Denmark, Faroe Islands, Greenland
- Frankfurt – Germany (Hessen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Thuringia, Baden-Württemberg)
- Geneva – Switzerland (Geneva, Vaud)
- Istanbul – Turkey (Marmara, Balikesir, Bursa, Istanbul, Sakarya, Tekirdag)
- Lisbon – Angola, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe, Guinea-Bissau, Cabo Verde, Gibraltar
- London – United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Channel Islands
- Madrid – Spain (Outside Madrid, Canary Islands)
- Milan – Italy (Lombardy, Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige, Friuli Venezia Giulia)
- Moscow – Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan
- Oslo – Norway, Iceland
- Paris – France, Monaco
- Prague – Czech Republic
- Rome – Italy (Tuscany, Lazio, Puglia, Calabria)
- Stockholm – Sweden, Finland
- The Hague – Netherlands, Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire
- Vatican – Vatican City
- Vienna – Austria, Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia
- Warsaw – Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine
Middle East & Africa
- Abu Dhabi – United Arab Emirates
- Amman – Jordan, Palestine
- Cairo – Egypt, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Sudan, Eritrea
- Doha – Qatar
- Dubai – United Arab Emirates (Sharjah, Dubai, Ajman, Fujairah)
- Jeddah – Saudi Arabia (Western Region, Makkah, Medina)
- Kuwait – Kuwait
- Manama – Bahrain
- Muscat – Oman
- Nairobi – Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Burundi, Rwanda
- Pretoria – South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana, Mozambique, Zambia
- Rabat – Morocco, Mauritania, Mali, Guinea, Senegal
- Riyadh – Saudi Arabia (Riyadh, Qassim, Hail, Eastern Region)
- Tel Aviv – Israel
- Tripoli – Libya, Algeria, Chad, Tunisia
North & Latin Americas
- Agana – Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau
- Brasilia – Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela, French Guiana
- Buenos Aires – Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay
- Calgary – Canada (Alberta, Saskatchewan)
- Chicago – USA (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri)
- Honolulu – USA (Hawaii, American Samoa)
- Houston – USA (Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico)
- Los Angeles – USA (Arizona, Nevada, Southern California)
- Mexico – Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador
- New York – USA (Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania)
- Ottawa – Canada (Ontario, Quebec, Maritimes)
- San Francisco – USA (California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Utah, Montana)
- Santiago – Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Falkland Islands
- Toronto – Canada (Ontario, Eastern Ontario, Manitoba)
- Vancouver – Canada (British Columbia, Yukon, Northwest Territories)
- Washington D.C. – USA (Alabama, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland)
If your country is not listed or does not offer the online voting option, you will need to vote in person at the designated embassy or consulate, or, in some cases, through postal voting.
Video: Instructions on Voting Online for OFWs
Check out this video for a step-by-step guide on how to vote online as an overseas Filipino worker as shared by COMELEC:
Some Reminders:
- Ensure you have a stable internet connection on your voting day.
- Keep your login credentials secure and do not share them with anyone.
- Double-check your ballot before submission, as votes cannot be altered once cast.
A Step Toward Better Accessibility
The launch of OVCS signifies a significant milestone in making elections more inclusive for Filipinos living abroad. By incorporating this online system, the Philippine government aims to increase voter turnout and ensure that every Filipino, regardless of location, has a voice in shaping the nation’s future.
With the 2025 elections approaching, overseas Filipinos are encouraged to complete the pre-enrollment process early. This opportunity to participate in national elections from anywhere is a testament to how technology can bring democratic processes closer to citizens worldwide.