Filipino overseas voters in US urged to complete biometric information

WASHINGTON – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has identified registered overseas absentee voters who have incomplete biometric information, the Philippine Embassy has announced.

“With the implementation of online voting for overseas absentee voters in the 2025 National and Local Elections, it is crucial that registered overseas voters have complete and up-to-date biometric records,” the Embassy said in a July 16 advisory.

Overseas voters registered at the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC may access the list of overseas absentee voters with incomplete biometric information to check if they need to update their voter records.

Overseas voters on the list will need to visit the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC or one of its consular outreach missions to update their voter records.

They will need to complete the overseas voter registration form and present a valid Philippine passport plus a copy of their passport and proof of current Filipino citizenship to complete the process, according to the Embassy.

Overseas voter registration ends on Sept. 30, 2024.

Meanwhile, the Resident Election Registration Board (RERB) of the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco approved 2,955 overseas voter (OV) applications filed from April 1, 2024, to June 30, 2024, during its hearing on July 15.

The Consulate’s RERB has so far approved a total of 14,091 OV applications since registration of overseas voters resumed in December 2022.

The RERB is composed of Vice Consul Adrian Baccay as Substitute RERB chair and Genevieve Ferrer as RERB member. Manuel Gamboa and Myla Capuno served as observers during the proceedings.

Among the new overseas voters are Filipino citizens who registered during the Consulate’s consular outreaches in: Milpitas and Elk Grove, California; Tigard, Oregon; Reno, Nevada and Boise, Idaho.

The Consulate, along with other Philippine embassies and consulates worldwide, will continue registering overseas voters until Sept. 30, 2024.

Filipino citizens, including dual citizens, who will be outside the Philippines, are at least 18 years of age on May 12, 2025, and are not otherwise disqualified by law, may register with the Consulate as overseas voters for the 2025 Philippine National Elections.

Registered overseas voters who moved to a new address within the Consulate’s area of jurisdiction are requested to apply for a change of address.

Qualified overseas voters may also register or update their address during the Consulate’s consular outreach missions.

The Consulate will conduct a consular outreach in the following areas: Pinole, California; Bellevue, Washington; Salinas, California and Anchorage and Kodiak, Alaska.

More information on OV registration is available here.