Rappler Recap: First day of overseas voting for 2025 elections

Just 4% of the expected 1.2 million Filipinos registered to vote abroad have pre-enrolled on the first day, but Philippine officials are hopeful internet voting will increase voter turnout

SINGAPORE – Filipinos abroad became the first to cast their votes in the 2025 midterm elections as their month-long voting period began on Sunday, April 13.

Almost all of the 1.24 million Filipinos registered abroad will vote via the new mode of internet voting — over 67,000 of them in Singapore. The city-state is one of the most vote-rich places in the world, after Dubai, Riyadh, and Hong Kong.

While some voters still prefer the old mode of voting, or showing up personally to the embassy to fill up a ballot, they say they are still happy to have been able to successfully vote on Sunday.

At least 47,976 of the 1.2 million have been able to pre-enroll as of Sunday, or a mere 4% of the expected participants. Philippine officials are still hopeful that the internet voting mechanism will increase turnout.

Rappler multimedia reporter Michelle Abad details day one of voting in vote-rich Singapore. – Rappler.com