People often make the mistake of thinking about the choices they need to make, right at the very moment they have to make it. Just like in elections. Many of us come to the polling place not even knowing who the candidates are, let alone who we’re actually going to vote for. Time to change that.
There are two kinds of preparations we have to do for ’22: first, we have to make sure that we’re well-acquainted with the mechanics of the elections, and second, we need to make certain that we’re approaching the issue of choosing our candidates properly.
The Mechanics of Voting (Voter Information)
Are you Registered? – Right now, there isn’t an easy way of determining whether you’re a registered voter or – even if you are – whether your registration is still active, i.e., can be used to vote on election day. So, until voter registration resumes (if everything goes according to plan, registration can resume as early as September in those places that aren’t under any sort of community quarantine), you can leave this question answered for now. But put a pin on it so you remember to check it out as soon as its possible!
Do you know how to cast your ballot? – With the election system we’ve used since 2010, this question only requires knowing how to properly shade the voting oval next to the name of the candidate you want to vote for. And it could be that simple still, unless of course Congress says we should use a different system altogether. For now, tho, tandaan…
Do you know where to cast your ballot? – Put a pin on this too ‘coz there’s no way to get an exact answer for this now. However, you will probably vote at the same public school where you (or your neighbors) voted in the last elections. After all, the only thing likely to change is your room assignment. Kung dating sa Room 1 ka bumoboto, baka sa darating na halalan, sa Room 2 na.
Do you know when the elections will be? – This one’s simple. May 9, 2022. And that’s because the Constitution says that our elections will always happen on the second Monday of May, every three years.
Once you have the answers to all those questions, then you’re well on your way. Now comes the tricky part.
Have you prepared to vote?
It’s really difficult to say at what point you’re ready to commit to a choice of who to vote for. But as a rule of thumb, I’ve found that BEFORE you get to that point, you’re going to have to put in the work needed.
- Learn a little bit about how politics works – This is a broad topic but the most important information you need is what different elected offices are expected to do. This will allow you to match the job to the applicant, so to speak. For example: A law maker (Congressman, Party-List Representative, Councilor) is expected to draft laws that apply to everyone. So, for those positions, you’re not just looking for someone who looks and sounds good on a microphone, but someone who can meet the demands of law making – like coming up with good ideas for laws, working with others to write those laws, listening to the people who will be most affected by those laws. Ganyan.
- You can learn about how politics works by listening to people talk about it. Sure, outside the school setting, it’s a little difficult to find people who talk about politics academically, but that’s what the COMELEC is there for. Shamless plug – before the end of the year, the COMELEC will be holding a series of webinars that include some basic civics lessons. Watch out for that!
- Learning about politics also means internalizing the idea that THE FILIPINO PEOPLE are the ones in charge, and that politicians are simply people competing against each other to serve you – not the other way around. SO don’t think of voting as choosing the one you would most like to follow – but selecting the person that you think is most capable of serving the people.
- Learn a lot about what the candidates plan if they win – This is what we call the ‘platform’ or ‘plataporma.‘ These are the candidates’ publicly announced plans for when they win the elections. Some, believe it or not, don’t bother with platforms and rely simply on their electability (pogi siguro LOL) or whatever. As a smart voter, you want to avoid voting for those candidates.
- You can get this information from various (but not a lot) of sources, including – the candidates’ websites and social media pages; the candidates’ political parties’ websites and social pages; and in news interviews.
- The COMELEC requires that people who file their Certificates of Candidacy submit their plans of government as well, but non-submission isn’t a deal breaker.
- With COVID forcing people to rethink old ways of doing things, COMELEC will have to do the same. And this is one of those things COMELEC will have to level-up on. A candidates’s platform is critical information and it should be available online.
- Learn a lot about the candidates’ beliefs and positions on important issues – Look. If you think women are victims of unfair treatment and are subject to abuse, you probably wouldn’t elect a misogynist, right? Or a wife-beater? Or a philanderer? Sure you won’t, but how will you know unless you take the effort to learn all you can about the candidates?
- You can get this information primarily from news interviews with the candidate. You can get some flavor from non-news TV appearances (like coming on as guests in a variety show or something), but don’t forget that those appearances are meticulously planned to promote the candidate’s public image. So don’t buy into them. And besides, everyone dances funny.
- Focus on the candidate’s behavior and demeanor when they’re off-guard or, as we’ve seen in the past, when they’re in the heat of the moment, asking questions of a resource person they don’t like for some reason. Eye-rolls may be entertaining, as are sarcastic quips,but they do tell you a lot about the person.
To be honest, even after all of that work, it’s still a little tricky figuring out exactly when you’re ready to vote. Ultimately, the best you can do is ask yourself if you’ve done your best to prepare to vote.