By Veronica Uy
The Philippine 2025 midterm elections saw millions of Filipinos participate, with over 68.4 million registered voters, including 1.24 million overseas voters, casting their ballots for more than 18,000 positions across the country.
Voters chose 12 senators, 254 district representatives, 63 party-list representatives, and nearly 18,000 local officials. Despite minor technical issues and delays in some areas, the elections proceeded with high voter participation and relatively peaceful conduct.
The voter turnout was notable, with more than 90% of local absentee voters—51,000 out of 57,000—casting their ballots, surpassing the 2019 midterm elections. Overseas voting was also a highlight, facilitated by a new internet voting system across 77 embassies and consulates, marking the first time such technology was used.
Voting commenced at 7 a.m. and concluded at 7 p.m., with early voting for senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and pregnant women starting at 5 a.m.
A few areas, particularly in Mindanao, encountered delays due to election-related disruptions.
In Datu Odin Sinsuat, election materials were obstructed by poll rivals, resulting in extended voting hours in those locations.
Some technical complaints arose regarding automated counting machines (ACMs) that failed to accept shaded ballots. However, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) reported no declared election failures.
Despite these challenges, the overall situation remained orderly, with no major incidents threatening the integrity of the elections.
This year’s election was the first general election overseen by South Korean firm Miru Systems, which replaced Smartmatic as the provider of automated election systems. This transition was seen as an important step toward improving election security and efficiency, with local absentee voting (LAV) automated systems contributing to a smoother process for both voters and personnel.
EU election observers unable to fully access polling precincts
While the European Union (EU) was invited by the Philippine government to observe the 2025 National Midterm Elections, their Election Observation Mission (EOM) faced access restrictions.
In its press release, the EU EOM emphasized that its well-established methodology—used in over 75 countries over 25 years—requires unfettered access to polling precincts and canvassing centers to ensure a thorough and impartial assessment of the voting process.
Despite a prior agreement signed on March 12 granting the EU observers full access, the EU EOM reported that they were not granted the necessary guarantees for adequate access to polling precincts.
As a result, the EU mission could not observe the voting phase itself and had to scale back its deployment.
However, all EU observers would still be able to monitor the counting process after the polls closed at 7 p.m. today (May 12, Monday).
The EU EOM is expected to release its preliminary findings and conclusions in a press conference scheduled for May 14 at 11 a.m.
The mission continues to stress its commitment to objectivity, independence, and a comprehensive, long-term approach to election observation.
