Voter turnout in Denmark´s first online elections at 32.91%

PE Copenhagen officers and staff served as Special Board of Election Inspectors (SBEI) during canvassing last May 12, 2025. From L-R, Mr. Rodelio Inventor, Poll clerk SBEI, Ms. Sarah Bolo Correa, 3rd member SBEI, and Consul Domini Fañgon- Kitade, Chairperson, SBEI.

By Rosemary Toledo-Menta

Copenhagen, Denmark – The Philippine embassy in Denmark concluded its first online voting and counting system (OVCS) in Copenhagen with a 32.91 % voter turnout. Copenhagen has 1,173 registered voters and 386 voted.   

In Greenland, an autonomous territory under Denmark, 10 voted out of 29 registered voters with a 34.48% turnout. While in the Faroe Islands, another autonomous territory under Denmark, 3 voted out of 8 registered votes with a 37.50% turnout.

In all three territories, the average voter turnout was at 32.97%.

“ First time natin sumabak sa Online Voting, at yung turn out ng voters, siguro hindi sa level na ineexpect namin. Ang turnout tulad dito sa Denmark, lumagpas lang ng konti sa 30%. Ang inaasahan namin e tatapat sana sa dating porsyento, lagpas 50 o 80% dahil sa kanya-kanyang bahay o opisina na tayo. Pero hindi siguro tayo nagtagumapay sa paghikayat sa mga kababayan natin na bumoto online, ” Philippine ambassador Leo Herrera in Denmark told Pinoy Portal Europe (PPE).

The online voting at the embassy was concluded last May 12 at 1 PM local time and the tally process commenced at 2.30 PM and was completed at 4.47 PM local time.  The tally process took more than two hours after it encountered minor technical issues.

During the canvassing process, printer errors caused some numerical values to appear outside the designated print area. This contributor also tested all the QR codes from the election results with her phone and found that they were not working. There was, however, no explanation provided why they were not working.

This contributor found that the QR codes on the election return were not working.  

After addressing the printing issues, the final results were tallied and transmitted to the Special Board of Canvassers (SBOC).

The results of the election can be accessed at Halalan 2025 candidate results via PE Copenhagen website.

The election this year is only the second election conducted by the Philippine embassy in Copenhagen. However, in this year´s election, there is notably no official election observers or watchers during the vote tally.

Ambassador Leo Herrera said that they will take up the issue of having watchers during the tally with COMELEC.

Philippine Ambassador Leo M. Herrera-Lim, video screen shot, May 12, 2025.

“ Siguro dapat namin kausapin ang COMELEC diyan sa proseso, at ibang mga partido dahil usually ang mga watchers, kasama ng mga partido para bantayan ang proseso. Big part of the process is not done in the embassy. Nangyari sa ibang lugar, sa kanya-kanyang bahay,» (We might have to talk to COMELEC and other parties about the process, since usually the watchers are with the parties to oversee the process. A big part of the process is not done in the embassy but in other places, in individual homes), Herrera pointed out.

PE Copenhagen no official election observers or watchers were present during the vote tallying.

«Dito, sinasarado lamang namin yung device na ginamit para sa eleksyon. Siguro later on, baka pwedeng tingnan ng COMELEC o ng mga partido na pwedeng hindi na dumaan sa embassy yung resulta, pwedeng diretso na sa national canvassers, tapos meron lang audit sa proseso para lang alam na hindi ma-manipulate yung results,” (Here, we only seal the device used in the election. Maybe later on the COMELEC or the parties can look into results being sent directly to the national canvassers, and there be an audit of the process to ensure there is no manipulation of the results.), he added.  

Some previously registered voters were dismayed over the technical issues they encountered during the pre-registration online that led them not being able to vote last May 12. However, some also have given support and positive remarks on the first online election.

“Marami nagsasabi actually na wag na bumoto, kasi dadayain din naman. (There are a lot of people who are saying not to vote since there will be cheating anyway) But for me, as a Filipino actually, for as long as you have done your job and your task, it’s better to do it then let the system work. Be a Filipino as you are”, Phemylou Piamonte, a registered voter in Denmark told Pinoy Portal Europe (PPE).

Phemylou Piamonte, a registered voter in Denmark, Kalipi President. video screen shot, May 12, 2025.

After the conduct of the elections at the embassy, Ambassador Leo M. Herrera-Lim thanked the Filipino community for embracing electronic voting and urged the Filipinos under the embassy´s jurisdiction to continue to support this system in future national elections.

“ Sa mga nanalo na 12 na senador, at partylist, hindi lahat yon, binoto natin. Iba-iba tayo ng listahan, pero dapat masaya tayo at nailunsad ang overseas voting sa ganitong halalan. Tatanggapin natin ang resulta dahil wala naman tayong nakikitang fraud lalo na sa overseas. Salamat sa pagtangkilik sa prosesong nakatulong sa ating demokrasya. (Of the 12 senators and partylist that won, we did not vote for all of them. We all have different lists but we should be happy that we were able to launch the overseas voting in this election. We have to accept the result since we did not observe any fraud especially in the overseas (election). Thank you for the support of the process that uphold our democracy)," Herrera concluded.

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