OFW internet voting measure hurdles House panel

A bill that would allow overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), including seafarers, to register and vote online successfully hurdled a House panel on Tuesday, marking a significant step toward making suffrage more convenient for migrant workers.

The House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms approved the consolidated measures of House Bills 2534 and 2293, which seek to amend the Overseas Absentee Voting Act (Republic Act 9189).

The bill’s salient provisions would make registration, certification, transfer of registration, and voting easier and more accessible by allowing Filipinos abroad to complete election-related requirements online.

Currently, migrant workers must cast their votes in person at designated voting centers, such as embassies or consulates.

Proponents, including 4Ps Representative JC Abalos and Quezon City Representative Marivic Co-Pilar, cited that despite RA 9189, low overseas voter turnout persists due to complex procedures, limited registration options, and the distance of polling sites from workers’ residences.

According to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, the number of Filipinos working abroad was pegged at 2.16 million as of 2023. However, election data shows a stark underrepresentation among seafarers.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) executive director Teopisto Elnas Jr. said the current number of registered seafarer voters is only 10,000.

Meantime, Department of Migrant Workers Assistant Secretary Jerome Pampolina told lawmakers this figure is less than 2 percent of the 568,920 seafarers deployed in 2024, attributing the low registration to their limited or nonexistent internet access while on board ships.

Comelec previously launched a pilot program for internet voting during the May 2025 polls, allowing some OFWs to cast ballots using mobile devices.

Elnas expressed hope for the bill’s swift passage so that Comelec can fully implement internet voting effectively and efficiently for the 2028 national elections.

“We’re hoping that with this law institutionalizing internet voting, our voters turnout will further increase,” Elnas told lawmakers.