Garcia urges Congress to allow online voting in the future

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner George Garcia urged Congress to pass a law that would allow online voting (“internet voting”) in the next elections, after Comelec received reports that some over seas Filipino had difficulties voting in person. 

Garcia attributed this to foreign employers who disallow their Filipino employees from going out, preventing them from exercising their right to suffrage. 

“Ang problema po, hindi talaga pinapayagan ng kanilang mga employer and therefore, hindi po nakakaboto,” Garcia said. “Sana sa susunod nating mga botohan, mapag-isipan ng ating Kongreso ang internet voting, lalo na sa overseas voters natin.” 

Garcia added that some Philippine embassies and consular offices abroad choose in-person voting instead of by mail. Comelec said there are over 1.697 million registered Filipino overseas voters for the 2022 polls. 

“Kaya lang po hindi ganun karami ang nakakaboto dahil naintindihan po natin yung kalagayan ng iba, lalo na kung ang pinili ng mismong embahada natin ay voting personally. Ibig sabihin pupunta sila mismo sa embahada, hindi by mailing,” Garcia said. 

As of May 5, Comelec reported a low 23% voter turn-out for overseas absentee voting.