24,742 Dubai-based Filipino Overseas Voters
Take Part in Historic First PH Online Voting Abroad, 11 percent of Global Turnout

History was made at the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai as a total of 24,742 registered overseas voters in its jurisdiction joined the first batch of Filipinos to participate in the online voting for the 2025 midterm elections conducted from 13 April to 12 May 2025. Equally history-making is the fact that voters in Dubai and the Northern Emirates for this election comprised 11 percent of the total overseas voter turnout globally, as compared to 9 percent of overseas voters in the 2022 presidential elections.

This year, the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai was one of the 77 Philippine Embassies and Consulates all over the world where registered voters can enroll and cast their votes online as the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) rolled out online voting for the first time. This change in the mode of voting is the COMELEC's response to overseas voters' clamor for a more accessible mode of voting, removing the need to go to the voting precincts during the month-long voting period. 

Good Voter Turnout

“We can indeed say that we had a good voter turnout in Dubai, especially since this is the first time that our overseas voters are casting their votes online,” remarked Consul General Marford M. Angeles of the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai and Northern Emirates. Following the Embassy’s lead, the Consulate conducted various activities covering the 6 emirates in its jurisdiction to promote online voting including holding information sessions, press briefings, and on-site assistance to voters. 

A clear indication of the keen interest of Filipinos to take part in online voting is the fact that this election yielded a higher voter turnout percentage in Dubai at 11 per cent of the total number of voters all over the world compared to the 2022 presidential elections wherein voters from Dubai were 9.10 per cent of the total voters in the world.

Transition to Easy, Comfortable Mode of Voting

While most of the voters were able to cast their votes online on their own, a total of 2,286 voters or less than two per cent of the registered voters came to the Consulate to seek assistance throughout the 30-day voting period. But the experience of the voters this time is different from those who participated in the previous elections. 

"I admit I don't have enough knowledge about IT (information technology) but I'm grateful that our government, through the Consulate, is willing to assist those of us who need help," said Marivic Ducay Coreaje, one of the first voters who sought assistance at the Consulate to pre-enroll in the online voting system.

There were 200 people who came to the Consulate to seek assistance in enrollment and voting in the system on the last day of election. However, as the number is relatively lower compared to an in-person, manual voting, all who came were quickly accommodated in a comfortable, airconditioned waiting area, shielded from the sweltering hot Dubai weather.

The wait time was also shorter as the process did not take too long with the enrollment itself taking less than 10 minutes by the time they are assisted by the Special Board of Election Inspectors (SBEI). This is a stark contrast from previous elections when hundreds of voters rushing to meet the deadline for voting lined up and waited for hours to be accommodated because of space limitations. The voters were glad to be in and out of the Consulate in less than an hour.

“Had I known it was this easy (to enroll and vote), I would have not gone to the Consulate. But it was still good to come here because my internet at home was not very good,” said one voter.

Quiet, Chilled Closing of Votes

And while the last day of overseas voting would normally be a chaotic day at the Consulate because of the last-minute rush of voters, this year’s election was different. Regular consular operations continued alongside accommodating voters and it was peaceful and quiet as observed by the poll watchers and media present to cover the event.

 A few minutes prior to the closing of the voting kiosk at 3:00 p.m. (synchronized with 7:00 p.m. PH time), a voter and his wife were the last to arrive before the cutoff period and they were accommodated immediately by the SBEI. They were the last to cast their vote at the Consulate.

After the final voter has cast his online ballot, the SBEI performed the closing procedures and proceeded with the printing of election returns. The results were then successfully transmitted electronically to the Special Board of Canvassers (SBOC) at the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi, which conducted the official count of the results for the UAE.

In a press release after the canvassing of results, the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi announced that a total of 37,976 or 20 per cent of the 189,892 total registered voters in UAE cast their votes online. Of this number, 13,234 were cast in Abu Dhabi while 24,742 were cast in Dubai. 

Overall, it was a successful conduct of the first online voting for the overseas voters registered at the Consulate. Consul General Marford Angeles acknowledged the leadership of Amb. Alfonso Ver for the Philippine Team in UAE, the hard work of the Consulate’s OV group led by Vice Consul Paola Ebora, and the cooperation of the Filipino community in Dubai and the Northern Emirates for the successful conduct of the 2025 Philippine National Elections online voting for Filipinos abroad. END

After the final voter has cast his online ballot, the SBEI performed the closing procedures and proceeded with the printing of election returns. The results were then successfully transmitted electronically to the Special Board of Canvassers (SBOC) at the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi, which conducted the official count of the results for the UAE.

In a press release after the canvassing of results, the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi announced that a total of 37,976 or 20 per cent of the 189,892 total registered voters in UAE cast their votes online. Of this number, 13,234 were cast in Abu Dhabi while 24,742 were cast in Dubai. 

Overall, it was a successful conduct of the first online voting for the overseas voters registered at the Consulate. Consul General Marford Angeles acknowledged the leadership of Amb. Alfonso Ver for the Philippine Team in UAE, the hard work of the Consulate’s OV group led by Vice Consul Paola Ebora, and the cooperation of the Filipino community in Dubai and the Northern Emirates for the successful conduct of the 2025 Philippine National Elections online voting for Filipinos abroad. END