There are a lot of things I could say about not being able to vote in the coming elections, but none of them would make sense. The fact is that I wasn’t able to vote in May 2010, and again in October of the same year. And because of that, the rules say my registration needs to be de-activated. To compound the problem, during the recent period for registration – during which time I could have filed for a re-activation – I was operating under the notion that my registration was still active. It was only recently when, as part of the pre-election checklist I’ve been running in my head, that I actually went ahead and used the COMELEC precinct finder to verify that I could vote.
Imagine my surprise [inexcusable in hindsight] and utter dismay.
Rest assured, I am completely humbled by this turn of events.
I offer my sincerest apologies to everyone I have ever badgered to register, but I take nothing back. Registration as a voter is the indispensable first step to joining the political conversation that will ultimately determine the continued democratic health of the country. It is every citizen’s duty and responsibility to take the necessary steps to ensure that he is empowered as a voter. The fact that I have failed to exercise this responsibility myself does not make me wrong about any of that. Although admittedly, it makes me all kinds of stupid.
I offer my sincerest apologies to everyone who has worked long and hard to convince everyone else not to treat their right of suffrage so casually. Again, while I am deeply sorry for my error, I believe that the righteousness of our advocacy will not be diminished by the fault of one campaigner among so many.
And I offer my sincerest apologies to those who, as I did, assumed that I was an active voter. I will rectify this situation at the first opportunity.