The Philippine Consulate-General in Dubai recently announced that Filipinos in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will be able to cast their votes online in the 2025 midterm elections and will no longer have to queue to cast their ballots during the polls.

But despite the convenience, several Filipinos in the country remain skeptical about the new system’s security and accessibility.

One Filipina — identified as Annalyn who has worked in Dubai for two years — expressed concerns about potential voter fraud.

“It’s good because it gives us a chance to vote from here (UAE), but since it’s online, I worry it might lead to cheating,” said Annalyn as she also stressed the importance of ensuring the integrity of the voting process, particularly given the controversies that have marred Philippine elections in the past.

Echoing these concerns, Dubai-based migrant rights advocate Barney Almazar highlighted the need for stringent security protocols to safeguard the process.

“Strong encryption, multi-level authentication, and a highly reliable verification system must be in place to maintain the integrity of the vote,” Almazar said.

He welcomed the introduction of online voting as a “significant advancement in ensuring broader democratic participation” but noted that safeguarding the system is crucial.

Almazar also pointed out that low voter turnout has historically been an issue among overseas Filipinos, especially in the Middle East.

“In the 2019 midterm elections, less than 30 percent of registered overseas voters from the region cast their ballots, highlighting barriers to participation,” he said.

With over 450,000 registered Filipino voters in the UAE alone, improving accessibility is key to increasing voter engagement.

Despite the promise of convenience, overseas voters will need to pre-enroll on the Commission on Elections online voting portal starting in February of next year. Filipino voters abroad will be able to vote for 12 senators and party-list representatives from 13 April to 12 May 2025.