IT WILL exactly be a week before the May 13 senatorial elections. While it may not be as significant as the national elections, there are still a lot at stake with half of the Senate House and the whole Congress up for filling. At the same time, we are also going to vote for local officials starting from the Provincial Governor down to the city or municipal councilors.
Here are some things that we can do to help us prepare ourselves before we cast our votes.
1. Check your registration at Commission on Elections (Comelec).
It is important to make sure that you are a registered voter in the first place. If you haven’t missed any election, then you’re pretty safe and sure that your name is still in the list of active voters. If you have missed at least two elections, then it’s ideal to visit the nearest Comelec office near you.
2. Know the candidates.
There are a lot of ways on how to get to know the candidates vying for the electoral positions. First, you can check by their party or affiliation. There are some people who go straight based on the political party they are supporting, while most people choose candidates from different groups.
You can also check their personal background and read more about their credentials through credible sources on the internet. For reelectionists, it is usual that their profile, particularly the roster of their qualifications and accomplishments, is published and ready for the voter’s reference.
For the candidates who are running for the first time, it is good to know more about them and watch the available sources where they guested such as political debates and town hall gatherings. In this way, you are able to discover their platform and also get introduced to them.
If you haven’t met all of the senatoriables, you may want to read through the Sinotoriables, “an online bi-weekly feature by the University of the Philippines (UP) Political Society, in partnership with UP Department of Political Science and UP sa Halalan 2019, that shall attempt to provide a brief backgrounder on the 2019 Senatorial Candidates. The campaign [shall] feature[s] each candidate’s experiences, positions, and programs in the aim of fostering political awareness and critical voting among the electorate.”
3. Choose wisely.
After being able to now and scrutinize their qualifications and political agenda, it’s time for you to choose who to vote for. It is not compulsory to complete the 12 slots for the Senators, if you are only keen on voting who you think really deserves the electoral post. Having a ready list of your candidates will save you time while voting in you precinct on the Election Day itself.
4. Be early at the polling precinct.
If you already know your voting precinct, you may go straight ahead and fall in line along with the other voters. Patiently wait for your turn and once you get your ballot, be cautious in filling out the ballot for any erasure or tampering may render you ballot void given that our elections is now automated. Once you’re done voting, submit your ballot to the election officer and do not linger in the voting area for safety and security.
Lastly, after casting your vote, the only thing to do is be updated through online and media reports and updates. More importantly, be hopeful and optimistic that the persons our nation has chosen will lead us to a better and safer Philippines.