Voting 101

UNWRITTEN
By Maria Jorica B. Pamintuan, Philstar.com
Updated May 15, 2009 12:00 AM

Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote,” said American journalist George Jean Nathan. Truly, a vote not cast, is a vote wasted. After all, voting is both a right and a duty. We all have the right to choose someone to lead us, but many people don’t even take the time to fill out a ballot because it is too much of a “duty.” Much has been said about those who don’t want to vote, but what of those who can’t?

Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve noticed that on a fine day in May, my parents would go out (and refuse to let me come along) and come home ages later with blackened fingertips and fingernails.

I would ask them what happened and they would say that they had voted, and that one day, I would do the same. I remember grimacing in disgust, silently deciding that I didn’t ever want to vote (whatever voting was) and get icky black stuff on my fingers.

Now, 10 years later, I am just around the corner of that “one day” — the day that I will finally be allowed to go out with my parents and come home to show my little brother the ink stains on my hands.

Ten years of education have changed my mind about voting. I really want to vote now (especially since I know what voting means); in fact, I can’t wait any longer. I’ve been waiting since learning about the right of suffrage in high school.

At first, I had only read about the trials that countries all over the world have faced just to earn the right to vote. What was all the fuss about? Why was everyone getting all hot and bothered about not having the right of suffrage? It was only in high school that I could full appreciate the importance of being able to cast a ballot.

Those who did not own land, who had few possessions, who were persecuted or discriminated against had no say over the leaders of their lands. Even here in the Philippines, there have been conflicts about this right. Women had to fight for the privilege to vote. It was only in 1937 that Pinays were allowed into the political arena. The struggles of these people earned their descendants the rights we enjoy (or ignore) today. They further fueled my desire to cast my own ballot.

Since then, I’ve been waiting impatiently for my 18th birthday, so I could finally become a registered voter. A few weeks ago, I was told that those who would reach the age of majority within this year could already register. I was so excited! Six months were cut off from my waiting time.

I was eager to finally be able to vote for something other than Pinoy Big Brother or music charts. So eager was I that I wanted to go to my hometown and register right away. I had no idea what to do, I didn’t ask my parents what to do — I just went ahead and tried to do it myself. It turned out disastrously! And to make things worse, I’m still not a registered voter.

To help others avoid making the same mistakes I did, here’s a how-to guide to help you.

The Dumb Way To (Not) Become A Registered Voter

1. Suddenly get it into your head that you want to register to vote without help from Mom or Dad.

2. Go to City Hall in the mistaken belief that that’s where people go to register.

3. Ask a security guard at City Hall where to register and get laughed at for your trouble. On the plus side, you also get directions to Comelec, where registration is actually conducted.

4. Get lost on the way to Comelec.

5. Finally stumble into the Commission on Elections building by mistake.

6. Ask the security guard what you have to do.

7. Thank your lucky stars that you brought a valid ID because you need one for registration. Have ID photocopied. Again, thank lucky stars that there’s a nearby photocopier.

8. Present photocopy to security guard and get questioned because the address on your ID says you live in Bacoor, and you’re trying to register to vote in Manila.

9. Make up an excuse as to why your address is like that and finally get inside the building.

10. Ask someone what to do. By way of an answer, the person you ask what district and barangay you are from.

11. Stare ahead and inwardly freak out because you don’t know. Tell the person you asked that you have no idea. He will then ask, “Who’s your barangay chairman?”

12. Freak out again because you don’t know that either. Tell the person how stupid you are because you don’t know that either. He will look at you funny and ask, “Eighteen ka na ba talaga, miss?”

13. Glare at him and stalk out of the building.

14. Look forlornly back at the building and decide to go to a mall instead because the right of suffrage takes a lot of suffering to acquire.

I pretty much failed to do anything right in this attempt to register to vote. But I won’t give up! Comelec, you may have won this round, but I’ll be back. Until next, the ballot must wait.