Overseas Absentee Voting and the 2022 Philippine National Elections: Implications of Postnational Citizenships to Political Democracy and Participation

Postnational citizenships have implications not only for community and international development, and directions of Canada-Philippines bilateral relations, but also for Philippine and Canadian democracy. Postnational and other forms of denationalized citizenship arise out of transnational activities of immigrants and native-born residents and their revived cosmopolitanism, strengthened by the rise of deterritorialized global cultures. As more Filipino post/nationals take up dual citizenships, work overseas, keep their Philippine passports, and postpone taking up foreign citizenships, they are eligible to vote in Philippine national and mid-term elections. This roundtable discusses the challenges that Filipinos experience in Overseas Absentee Voting registration, polling, and elections, which in turn shape their transnational identities, sense of nationalisms, attachments, and loyalties as dual citizen Filipinos, permanent residents, international students, and temporary foreign workers in Canada.