HONG KONG — A prominent Filipino advocacy group in Hong Kong has raised serious concerns about the Commission on Elections’ (COMELEC) Online Voting System, alleging widespread technical problems that could potentially disenfranchise overseas voters.
Bayan Muna Hong Kong spokesperson Lai Besana criticized the system’s reliability, citing numerous technical issues including broken links, expired pages, and delayed one-time password (OTP) transmissions.
“The system represents a significant and widespread disenfranchisement,” Besana told reporters on Monday. According to the group, the pre-enrollment link was issued late and plagued with accessibility problems.
The Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong had previously assured community leaders of the system’s ease and convenience during a March 16 training session. Vice Consul Gelo Manuel emphasized the platform’s flexibility, allowing voters to cast ballots from anywhere.
However, the actual implementation told a different story. The pre-enrollment period, originally scheduled to begin March 20, did not effectively start in Hong Kong until the afternoon of March 23.
Voters reported repeated difficulties, including expired time limits and technological challenges with the QR code system. Some expressed frustration with the complexity, suggesting a preference for traditional in-person voting methods.
