I VOTED in a mid-term election for the first time in my adopted country, specifically in the Carolinas in the US, over the weekend
I worked as journalist for close to two decades and covered many elections focusing on my specialty as court and political reporter in the land of my birth, the Philippines.
In the Philippines, I watched people patiently lining up to cast their ballot starting early morning up to late afternoon only to find out that their names are not on the list.
Sometimes I plead on their behalf and sometimes it works especially if there is time or I would be frustrated because there was nothing to be done. I couldn't even remember the first time I voted in the Philippines and yet it was strange that I remembered voting last Saturday.
Voting to me is sacred. I always exercise the right to vote even if most of the times the people I voted for lost.
As a new U.S. citizen, I was struck by the contrast between the voting here and back home. The contrast is quite sharp and reminds me of how far behind the Philippine election setup is compared to the US.
When I arrived at City Hall it was 10:00 am and I immediately presented myself to the clerk and she asked for my address. After she verified it in the computer, she then asked a lady to accompany me to the machine.
But I was accompanied by my husband Ronnie inside my polling precinct # 202 in Cornelius, North Carolina after he finished voting and he asked permission to do so because I didn't know how to operate the machine.
For a few moments, I felt at peace, in the undefiled inner sanctum of American democracy. My voting took less than five minutes. I entertained the thought of this kind of system back home in the Philippines and I found it appealing.
From verifying the address and the number of one's precinct to actual voting it was so easy to vote in the US. I was reminded of those long lines back home in the Philippines that many of them often wind up not voting at all.
The US voting process may not be perfect because there were reports or allegations of electoral fraud but to my mind it was still the best experience.
Right now there is no need for Americans to present an ID when voting. The ID requirement will be in effect two years from now.
If we can have this automated system in the US, many would be able to vote and teachers and volunteers can go home early. Winners can be declared on time.
By the way voting in the US isn't like a fiesta. It was simple and while there were volunteers of party candidates or independents that distributed fliers or campaign materials, it was done quietly.
The other day I read online news that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in the Philippines is set to convene and deliberate on the Automated Election System (AES) to be used in the 2016 elections after the Comelec Advisory Council (CAC) submits its recommendation soon.
It was reported that Commissioner Christian Lim said they will discuss the recommendation of the CAC headed by Chairman Louie Casambre on what technology to be used in the forthcoming national and local elections.
“The CAC has a schedule with us on Wednesday at 10 a.m. to formally present their recommendations as well as to answer our questions regarding their recommendation,” Lim said.
Casambre revealed that they have recommended to the commission en banc to use again the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines and another voting technology as a secondary AES.
But Comelec chairman Sixto Brillantes said they are not compelled to approve the recommendation of the CAC on the technology to be used in the May 2016 elections.
As 2016 is fast approaching the Comelec should not delay on its deliberations on what technology to use for election.