Overseas Filipinos can vote online, but COMELEC says registering in Australia still needs a personal visit

COMELEC Commissioner Aimee P. Ferolino told SBS Filipino why in-person registration still matters for overseas voters, as officials must confirm the identity and biometrics of new registrants, after COMELEC's outreach with the Philippine consulates in Melbourne and Sydney ahead of the 2028 elections.

Overseas Filipinos can vote online, but those in Australia who want to register still have to appear in person at an embassy or consulate. COMELEC Commissioner Aimee P. Ferolino explained why to SBS Filipino in an episode published on 27 October.

According to COMELEC, officials must still confirm the identity and biometrics of newly registered voters before they are included in the official list of overseas voters.

SBS Filipino reported that the Commission on Elections Office for Overseas Voting (COMELEC-OFOV) and the Philippine Consulate General in Sydney and Melbourne recently brought overseas voter education and information services directly to the Filipino community in Australia.

Community leader Max Lopez told SBS Filipino that, besides technical and logistical challenges, he sees voter apathy as one reason some overseas Filipinos do not take part in elections.

The Melbourne and New South Wales sessions

In Melbourne, Philippine Ambassador to Australia Antonio A. Morales joined Ferolino and Consul General Jesus "Gary" R. S. Domingo for overseas voter registration and education activities at the Philippine Consulate General on 1 October. The programme included on-site registration, a town hall meeting and a press conference, according to the Philippine Embassy in Canberra.

The programme then continued in New South Wales with sessions on 3 and 4 October, the second of them in Fairfield.

How to register for 2028

Registration for the 2028 Philippine National Elections runs until 30 September 2027, and election day is scheduled for 8 May 2028. Eligible Filipinos in Australia may register or update their records at the Philippine Embassy in Canberra, the Philippine Consulate General in Sydney or Melbourne, or during field and mobile registration activities run by the embassy and consulates.

Applicants must be Filipino citizens, at least 18 years old by election day, and that includes eligible Filipino-Australians who have retained or reacquired Philippine citizenship. Applicants can prepare a form through COMELEC's iRehistro website, but biometric information must still be captured in person, The Philippine Times reported.

Qualified overseas voters can vote for president, vice-president, senators and party-list representatives, but not for local offices.

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