The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Saturday that it is intesifying preparations for internet voting during next year’s midterm elections.

Online voting will be the primary mode of casting ballots for overseas Filipinos in the 2025 polls, except in countries with internet restrictions.

In an ambush interview, Comelec Chairperson George Garcia said poll body officials already visited Hong Kong and Singapore to conduct information drives.

“Ang susunod po na pupuntahan ay Los Angeles at San Francisco upang maituro sa mga kababayan natin kung papaano gamitin ang internet (Next they will visit Los Angeles in San Francisco to teach our Filipino voters there how to use internet voting),” Garcia said.

Garcia noted if next year’s internet voting proves to be successful, it may be adopted locally to benefit the country’s elderly population, as well as persons with disability (PWDs) and pregnant women.

“Sana po dumating tayo sa pagkakataon na magkaroon tayo ng internet voting. Sapagkat napakalaking tulong sa mga senior citizens, sa PWDs na makakaboto sila kahit nasa bahay. Kahit yung mga bedridden (We hope we can reach the point where we implement internet voting locally. Because it could benefit senior citizens, PWDs—they could vote even they are at home. Even those who are bedridden),” he added.

Garcia previously said the online voting initiative aims to make voting more accessible and convenient for Filipinos living abroad, significantly pushing forward the country's democratic process.