Comelec mulls issuance of digital voter’s ID for overseas voters

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday said it is considering the issuance of digital voter’s ID for overseas voters adopting internet voting.

Comelec Chairperson George Garcia said this will serve as an alternative valid ID for the purpose of enrollment in the pilot internet voting in the 2025 polls.

“As a gift to our fellow Filipinos, who are in different parts of the world, your Commission approved the provision of digital voter IDs to facilitate their participation in the first internet voting in the upcoming elections,” Garcia said in Filipino.

According to the poll body, the digital voter ID may be presented as an alternative government-issued valid ID, in case the Philippine passport or seafarer’s identification record book is not available, by an overseas voter who has an active registration record and intends to pre-enroll for internet voting in the 2025 polls.

Pre-enrollment or pre-registration for overseas voters who will participate in internet voting is from 12 February 2025 to 12 May 2025.

For the voter, the general procedure for participating in internet voting in the 2025 polls includes the submission of information and government-issued identification documents. 

Since 2018, the generation and distribution of physical voter IDs has been discontinued pursuant to Republic Act No. 11055, or the Philippine Identification System Act.