So are you ready for the 13 May election?
Campaigns and meeting de avances have elevated to feverish pitch now that the 13 May election is fast approaching. You will hear numerous candidates jingles blaring even in the very early hours of the morning with highly-active campaigners doing their rounds of barangays in the city. The little man has woken up with a start on few occasions because of them.
I just got my copy of the Voter’s Information and Instruction Sheet {VIIS} when we recently went home {to my parents’ home}. I am not sure whether they issued a similar hand out in the previous election, but I am glad they did. It is a perfect guide for voters, especially for those who are doing it for the first time. If every people lining up at the voting centers come 13 May have read the instructions found in this sheet to heart, then I see no reason why the election will not be as stress-free and hassle-free as everyone hope it will be.
Here are the tips found on the Voter’s Information and Instruction Sheet and I thought I’d share them with you, just in case you failed to get your own copies:
How To View A Sample Ballot Of Your City or Municipal Using The Comelec Website
- Visit www.comelec.gov.ph {although I just checked now and the site is down for some reasons}
- Click on the “Ballot Templates” tab
- Click on the name of your Region
- Click on your city or municipal’s name under the name of your province
- Wait for the ballot template to fully load. You can also choose to download or print the form
Ways On How To Vote Properly
- The election will be on Monday, 13 May, 2013. The voting centers will be open from 7am to 7mp
- Come election day, bring an ID and proceed to the polling or voting center found in your VIIS
- In the voting center, locate the room for your precint indicated as “Precint assignment” in your VIIS
- In your Precint Assignment, look for your name and sequence number on the voter’s list displayed in front of the polling place or room
- Approach the BEI and state your name and Sequence Number
- In case of long lines, those with handicap, pregnant or senior citizens will be prioritized. Just look for the express lane
- The BEI will confirm your identity, after which you will be asked to sign the Election Day Computerized Voter’s List {EDCVL}
- You will be given a marking pen and a ballot {enclosed in a Ballot Secrecy Folder}. Check if the ballot is blank and make sure to return it promptly to the BEI if you find any markings in it
- Proceed to the voting area to vote. Using the marking pen, shade the entire circle that preceeds the name of your candidates or party lists
- Make sure to keep the ballot pristine and clean, otherwise it might be invalidated by the machine
- After voting, return your ballot to the Ballot Secrecy Folder and approach the PCOS machine. Insert your ballot to the machine and wait for the “Congratulations, your vote has been registered” messaged on the PCOS screen
- Return the Ballot Secrecy Folder and the marking pen to the BEI
- The BEI will put an indelible ink on your right index finger as proof that you already voted
- You’re done!
This should be easy-peasy and I bet we will all breeze through the entire process. Just make sure to bring a list of your votes to make voting easier and faster and go to the polling precints earlier to avoid the long lines. Voting is not only our right, but it is our duty to our country and more importantly to our children. Vote in the elections and vote wisely!