Advance Voting for the 2026 Election: What to Prepare, Where to Go, Expired ID Cards Still Accepted

Advance voting on 1 Feb 2026: What to prepare? A concise guide highlights that voters will receive two ballots—one to choose their preferred constituency MP and another for the party-list MP of their favored party, with no advance voting for the referendum.

On 24 January 2026, the Election Commission (EC) announced the locations for advance MP voting and out-of-district referendum voting to facilitate voters' participation in both MP elections and the referendum.

When is advance voting in 2026?

Advance voting is set for Sunday, 1 February 2026, divided as follows:

Polling stations for advance voting inside electoral districts: 421 locations.

Polling stations for advance voting outside electoral districts: 424 locations.

Centralized polling stations for people with disabilities, the elderly, or those with mobility impairments:

In 18 provinces, totaling 22 locations (used for advance MP voting).

Voters who have registered for advance voting should go to their registered polling location. They must verify their name on the posted voter list at the polling station, review the candidates for their district before voting, then present their ID card or government-issued identification with the 13-digit ID number, such as a driving license or even an expired ID card, to receive two ballots:

How to vote in the 2026 advance election.

1. Constituency MP ballot (green).

• Purpose: To elect the “preferred person” as your district MP.
• Ballot characteristics: It shows candidate numbers and voting boxes (usually without candidate names or party logos).
• How to mark: Mark an X in the box of the candidate number you want to vote for—only one candidate allowed.

2. Party-list MP ballot (pink).

• Purpose: To choose the “right party” for calculating the party-list MPs allocated to that party.
• Ballot characteristics: Displays party numbers, logos, and party names clearly.
• How to mark: Mark an X in the box of the party you want to vote for—only one party allowed.

Referendum voting must be done only on 8 February.

The referendum on constitutional amendments (yellow ballot) allows out-of-district voting but only in a province different from the voter’s registered domicile. Voting will be nationwide and simultaneous on Sunday, 8 February 2026. The yellow ballot poses the question: “Do you agree that there should be a new constitution?” Voters can mark agree, disagree, or no opinion if they choose not to express a view.

Check voter registration for 2026.

Voters can enter their 13-digit ID number to verify their registration through two channels:

1. Check MP election voting rights on the Department of Provincial Administration website.Click here.

2. Check referendum voting rights on the Department of Provincial Administration website.Click here.

Voters are warned not to tear their ballots, as this is illegal, and to mark only an X in the designated box. Any other markings will invalidate the ballot.

Articles and news on “Election 2026.”

• Can expired ID cards be used for voting? What can be used instead for identification?
• How many ballots are there in the 2026 election, what colors should be marked, with example ballot images.
• How to correctly mark ballots in the 2026 election to ensure your vote is counted.
• Latest articles and news updates on “Election 2026” today.
• Follow the 2026 election results in real time and check the latest score updates.