4 days needed to proclaim winning senators – Comelec

MANILA, Philippines — It would take the Commission on Elections (Comelec) a maximum of four days before it can proclaim the winning senatorial candidates in the 2025 midterm elections.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia said yesterday that three to four days would be spent in the counting of votes for senatorial bets in next year’s elections.

“In previous elections, two weeks had already passed and Comelec was not yet finished (with the) counting of votes for the senatorial candidates,” Garcia said during the voter education and automated counting machine demonstration held in SM City Lucena in Quezon province.

He said that apart from the votes coming from the different parts of the country, there is a need to wait for votes coming in from other countries.

“Abroad, we have 95 (foreign service) posts which will make use of internet voting and they will have to pass through the Board of Canvassers in their respective countries,” Garcia said.

The Comelec chief further explained the process of voting abroad, citing Los Angeles in the United States as an example.

“If you are in Los Angeles, for example, voting results in LA will be sent to Washington and canvassing of results will be made there. Afterward, the total votes from America will be brought by the ambassador to the PICC (Philippine International Convention Center) through a transmitter. But still, there is a need for a hard copy (of the results),” explained Garcia.

“That is the reason why it will take some time before winning senatorial bets as well as presidential and vice presidential candidates are proclaimed,” he added.

The poll body is continuously reminding the public that voter registration activities for the 2025 national and local elections will run until Sept. 30 and that there will be no extension.

It is being held Mondays to Saturdays, including holidays, in all Offices of the Election Officer nationwide from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.