General election, 12 May 2025

Heatwave  

On 12 May 2025, the Philippines held general elections amidst a heatwave. 29 areas around the country experienced temperatures of at least 42 degrees Celsius. The most affected areas (Cavite City, Cavite and Catarman, Northern Samar) saw temperatures of up to 45 degrees (De Vera-Ruiz 2025). The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) reported ‘dangerous’ heat index levels across the nation—defined as temperatures between 42 and 51 degrees—and indicated increased likelihood of heat cramps, exhaustion and heat stroke (Ogerio 2025). 

Impact on the electoral process 

As of 2025, the Philippines has adopted Automatic Counting Machines (ACMs) in their election process. ACMs are advertised as providing faster vote transmission, improved security and enhanced verification features, in addition to being lower cost than the Voting Counting Machines (VCMs) previously used in the country (Garcia 2025). Observers and election authorities at some polling stations reported machines malfunctioning (rejecting ballots) and causing delays – due to the heat preventing the ink from drying, making it difficult for the machine to read the ballots (AFP 2025; Sy Cua 2025). The increased humidity may also have caused ballot papers to expand, thus contributing to the problem (Ogerio 2025). 

The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Chairman George Garcia said all the machines were precinct-specific and that COMELEC would send a ‘contingency machine’ to the areas with faulty machines due to the heat (Depasupil-Franco and Baroña 2025).  

The extreme heat led to changes in voting patterns, with many voters in Santiago City waiting until after 15:00 when the temperatures had eased to attend polling stations (Dela Peña 2025). In Western Visayas, observers from the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) noted that some registered voters ultimately chose not to exercise their right to vote, after delays due to technical errors with ACMs led to long waits in the extreme heat (ICHRP 2025). In addition, the recent adoption of early voting for elderly voters, persons with disabilities and pregnant women caused confusion and crowding, exacerbating long queues (ANFREL 2025). 

According to EU observers, while COMELEC’s efforts to facilitate the participation of disabled voters are commendable and reflect a commitment to an inclusive electoral process, ‘implementation was uneven, especially in remote areas where limited infrastructure hindered accessibility’ (EU EOM 2025). How far early voting hours (05:00–07:00) offset the challenges of the heatwave is therefore unclear.  

A 65-year-old man collapsed and died after voting in Becol, an incident which may have been heat related (Ogerio 2025). In Tulunan, at least six people collapsed, and an additional 10 people were brought to the medical tent whilst queueing to vote in the sweltering heat (Magbanua 2025). 

Turnout rate was 81.65 per cent, the highest ever for a midterm election in the Philippines, according to COMELEC (ANFREL 2025). In the previous midterm election in 2019, the voter turnout was 74.13 per cent (International IDEA n.d.). In a press conference, COMELEC Chairman George Garcia remarked “Kudos to the Filipino electorate” for their determination to cast their votes in extreme weather conditions (Villaruel 2025). EU observers agreed the turnout demonstrated ‘a strong commitment to democratic values’ despite persistent challenges including electoral violence, the concentration of political power, vote buying, and flaws in the legal framework (weather conditions were not mentioned the report) (EU EOM 2025).