Across the globe, the right to vote—and the mechanics of how it’s exercised—has come under renewed scrutiny and debate. In the United States, the Philippines, and beyond, recent developments have highlighted both the promise and the challenges of ensuring free, fair, and accessible elections. From new pushes for voter registration among diaspora communities to heated disputes over mail-in ballots and data privacy, the landscape of voting in 2025 is anything but static.
On September 14, 2025, a significant development unfolded in Washington state. President Donald Trump's Department of Justice formally requested access to the state’s voter registration database, seeking detailed personal information including full names, birthdates, driver’s license numbers, and the last four digits of Social Security numbers. According to reporting by Reuters and local news outlets, this request was not unique to Washington—at least 22 other states received similar demands from the DOJ, raising eyebrows and prompting questions from election officials nationwide.
Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs was quick to express his concerns publicly. “Right now I have more questions than answers, the big one being why the DOJ wants that information,” Hobbs told reporters, referencing the uncertainty surrounding the federal government’s intentions. He noted the conflicting signals coming from the Trump administration: “You have the story in Reuters where it was connected to immigration, then you have the letter about ensuring you maintain a voter database, so that’s one of the questions we have back to the DOJ.”
The request came with a 14-day deadline, putting additional pressure on Hobbs and his office to respond. However, Hobbs made it clear that, without further clarification from the Department of Justice, Washington would not be releasing any voter data. “Until I have information from the DOJ about what exactly the department plans to do with voter registration data, I will not be releasing anything,” he stated firmly.
For many Washingtonians, this episode has underscored the ongoing debate over election security and privacy. Hobbs sought to reassure voters, emphasizing the state’s robust safeguards. “Our mail-in voting is secure and transparent,” he said. “We check every signature, the tabulation machines are not connected to the internet, and we talk to other databases, and we are going to continue to do a good job with that.” As a vote-by-mail state, Washington has faced criticism from President Trump, who has recently condemned mail-in voting and pledged to work toward its elimination. Despite this, Hobbs emphasized that voters have nothing to fear: “Especially when it comes to ensuring that people’s addresses are up to date, we are part of the ERIC system, we talk to other databases, the auditors talk to us.”
This latest federal request comes at a time when the integrity of elections is already a hot topic in the U.S. With the 2026 midterms on the horizon, both parties are closely watching special elections for early signs of voter sentiment. In Georgia, early voting for a special Senate runoff began on September 13, 2025. According to local election officials, voting sites in Cherokee County opened their doors from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the first day, with extended hours from September 15 through September 19. Fulton County voters could cast their ballots at the Alpharetta and Milton libraries during the same period.
High-profile endorsements have poured into the Georgia race, with both Democratic and Republican leaders framing the contest as a bellwether for the upcoming national elections. Shigley, a candidate in the race, stated, “Last month, we showed that our message of a more affordable Georgia is resonating with families in our district. Now, we are looking ahead, hard at work to make sure every voter knows what’s at stake.” U.S. Representative Rich McCormick, supporting Republican candidate Dickerson, echoed the sense of urgency in a video message: “It’s really important that we don’t lose this seat. Your vote really matters.”
Amid these domestic debates, the mechanics of voting are also being revisited by nations with large diaspora populations. The Philippines, for instance, is embarking on an ambitious campaign to register at least two million new overseas voters for the 2028 national and local elections. The Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced a two-year registration window, from December 1, 2025, to September 30, 2027, in hopes of boosting the total number of overseas voters to three million.
Comelec Chair George Garcia highlighted the importance of the effort, saying, “2028 is a very crucial year. 2028 is crucial in our political history because we are electing the president and vice president and other positions. This is very important.” Filipino citizens abroad who will be at least 18 years old by May 8, 2028, are eligible to register, provided they are not otherwise disqualified. The process is designed to be accessible: applicants can file for new registration, transfer, reactivation, correction of entries, change of address, reinstatement, or certification. Required documents include a valid Philippine passport, certification from a Philippine post, a certified true copy of the order approving retention or reacquisition of Filipino citizenship, or a Seafarer’s Identification Record Book for seafarers.
Registration can be completed at Philippine embassies, consulates, designated overseas centers, the Comelec Office for Overseas Voting in Manila, or at local field registration centers in the Philippines. The last overseas registration drive, held from December 9, 2022, to September 30, 2024, saw about 200,000 new registrants. For the May 12, 2025 midterm elections, there were 1.241 million registered overseas Filipino voters.
The scale of the Filipino diaspora is striking. Government estimates put the global Filipino community at around 15 million, with 4.6 million in the United States and nearly a million in Canada. Other significant populations include 919,819 in the United Arab Emirates (as of 2013), 725,893 in Saudi Arabia (2022), 408,836 in Australia (2021), and 332,293 in Japan (2024). With such a widespread diaspora, the logistical challenges of registering and engaging overseas voters are considerable—but the stakes are high, especially for presidential elections.
Back in the U.S., the tension between expanding voter access and ensuring election integrity remains palpable. As states like Washington defend their mail-in voting systems and resist federal requests for sensitive data, and as Georgia’s special election draws national attention, the underlying question persists: How can democracies balance security, privacy, and broad participation?
Meanwhile, countries like the Philippines are betting that increased outreach and flexible registration processes can bring millions more citizens into the democratic process, no matter where they live. Whether these efforts succeed may offer lessons for other nations grappling with similar challenges in the years ahead.
As 2025 unfolds, the world’s democracies are being tested—not just at the ballot box, but in the very systems that make voting possible. The coming months will reveal whether these evolving approaches can deliver on the promise of free, fair, and trusted elections for all.