Filipinos voters say inadequate election information mars online overseas voting in Ireland

Filipinos in Ireland join the 1.2 million registered online overseas voters in this year´s 2025 midterm elections. Photo courtesy: Bryan Surla/Facebook

By Rodelle Borja

Dublin – While Filipinos in Ireland are embracing the digital shift to online voting in the 2025 midterm elections, most of them say that  lack of adequate information on online voting marred inclusive participation in the election.  

Ernestina Manipis-Almack, an Immigration Control Officer of the Department of Justice in Ireland, and Elza de la Cruz, President of the Ilocano Irish Association lauded the shift to the online voting but also pointed out the potential benefits and challenges of the digital shift. 

Describing to Pinoy Portal Europe (PPE) her voting experience during a recent phone interview, she said that it turned out  as “generally okay,” but noted that “you have to be tech-savvy in order to do it.”

She explained that voters need to upload and download documents and follow instructions carefully.

 “Not easy for old people. Taking a picture of yourself and uploading it could be challenging too,” she added.

Despite managing to cast her vote, she expressed a preference for the traditional way of voting, which she finds more trustworthy.

“I still prefer the traditional way of casting ballot and counting it with watchers,” she said.

Her main concern is security; she admitted, “I have doubts with internet transmissions. I never trusted it because it can be hacked and manipulated. You know how computer works.”

A significant issue she highlighted was the lack of proper information dissemination.

Filipino voter in Ireland Ernestina Manipis-Almack said voters could have been better informed on how to vote in the online election,

Manipis-Almack shared her frustration on online voting saying, “The Filipinos in Ireland were not properly informed. We just found it out the day before the pre-registration deadline.”

She also pointed out that many community members work on rosters that include weekends, making it difficult to be aware of such changes in time.

She suggested that “it should have been for several weekends or for a long time so that it can be disseminated well.”

To improve the experience, she recommended that the embassy expand its outreach beyond social media and provide a longer window for both information dissemination and voting.

She also proposed offering in-person voting options for those who find online voting too challenging. “Now that we have an embassy in Ireland, I hope we can offer both online and in-person voting options for those who can’t vote online.”

Elza de la Cruz, also shared a similar perspective. She initially thought the process was “complicated” but managed to navigate it successfully.

Filipino voter in Ireland, Elza De la Cruz also found the online voting process complicated and said she feels that the traditional way of voting feels "safer."

She stated, “At first I see it as a complicated process since it’s online but my experience turned out just fine.” Nonetheless, she prefers the traditional method, saying, “I think the traditional way of casting votes is more handy and it is safer since online systems can be hacked.”

De la Cruz only learned about the online voting option in late March after reaching out to the Philippine Embassy in Dublin.

She attended the Overseas Voting Pre-Enrolment Briefing on April 11th and 12th, which she found informative, and although she did her part by calling registered voters in her community and providing guidance, she believed that “not all Filipinos in Ireland were sufficiently informed since the Filipino leaders who attended the briefing had limited time to disseminate the information about overseas online voting in their respective communities.”

Recognizing these gaps in information and access, many other Filipinos in Ireland were unable to vote for various reasons.

Some were unregistered because they were unaware of the registration requirements and deadline.

Private carer Cherry Bonilla shared that she was unable to register because she did not have sufficient information about registration. She explained, “I had no idea about the registration process and deadline, so I missed it.”

Others were not registered because they didn’t see voting as a priority at the moment.

Kelvin Cardenas, a registered nurse, stated “I simply don’t have time for Philippine politics and elections right now.”

Several others expressed willingness to vote but haven’t reacquired Philippine citizenship yet, which disqualifies them from participating.

Another registered nurse Elaine Dawn Rocero, shared “I would have wanted to vote, but I’m not a dual citizen yet, so I can’t participate in the elections.”

Furthermore, many were unaware of the new online election system altogether and failed to complete the required pre-enrollment process in time.

Online overseas voting was conducted for the very first time in overseas posts.

One example is the experience of retired bursar Willa Galve Lamata, who told this contributor in a recent phone interview that although she pre-registered for the overseas election in 2023, she didn’t know it will be online this time and that she needs to pre-enrol.

“I didn’t know. I did not get any information”,  Willa said and added that she only found out about the need to pre-enrol on the last day of the registration period but was unable to complete the process due to other commitments and priorities.

Manipis-Almack also suggested, “The embassy should find a way for information dissemination and not rely on social media only. Perhaps a longer time for information dissemination and a longer time for voting.”

De la Cruz echoed this suggestion citing “insufficient time for information dissemination” as a challenge that can be addressed by additional time allocated for spreading awareness, to ensure everyone is well-informed and prepared.

While they recognize and appreciate the hard work and efforts of the Philippine Embassy in Ireland—especially considering that the online voting system was only introduced a few months ago—it's clear  to them that more proactive measures in information dissemination could greatly enhance the voting experience for overseas Filipinos.

To them, better communication strategies of the embassies, such as extended outreach periods and multiple channels beyond social media, can help ensure that all Filipinos in Ireland are well-informed and prepared and that future elections can be more inclusive, accessible, and secure for everyone.