It is 40 days before the anticipated 2022 National and Local Elections.
On May 9, Filipinos will have their voices heard and have the power to choose another leader that will serve the country for six long years.
Have you already decided on who is going to win your precious vote on Election Day?
By this time, maybe some of us already have in mind who will win their votes for the local and national posts.
But, as we are looking forward to the day of the election, there are important reminders that every voter should remember in order to vote smoothly during the voting day.
The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) reminded the public to keep in mind some simple reminders to remember before the casting of votes on May 9.
Here are the important do’s and don’ts during election day.
Do’s
· Make sure that you are a registered voter.
· Prepare your list of preferred candidates.
· Wear your face mask and observe social distancing.
· Upon receipt of your ballot, check the presence of any marking or if the ballot is torn or smudged.
· Use only the marking pen provided by the COMELEC in accomplishing / shading the ballot.
· Follow proper shading.
· Cover the ballot with the ballot secrecy folder while accomplishing it.
· Review your Voter’s Receipt and deposit the same to the VVPAT (Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail) Receptacle.
Don’ts
· Don’t tear or deface the ballot.
· Don’t tamper the security codes and timing marks of the ballot.
· Don’t erase any printing from the ballot, or put any distinguishing mark on the ballot.
· Don’t speak with anyone other than the Electoral Board (EB) while inside the polling place.
· Don’t overvote.
· Don’t take photos or videos of your ballot and the voter’s receipt.
· Don’t bring the ballot, ballot secrecy folder and marking pen outside the polling place.
For first time voters, COMELEC also enumerated some important steps to remember during the election day.
Voting Process
1. Undergo a temperature check before entering the voting center. If the temperature is 37.5 Celsius and above, temperature checking will be repeated after five minutes. If the second reading is still the same, the said person will be sent to the Isolation Polling Place (IPP) to vote.
2. Go to the Voters' Assistance Desk (VAD) to know your precinct, sequence numbers and assigned clustered precinct.
3. Go to your polling place.
4. Approach the EB and say your name, precinct number and sequence number.
5. The EB will check if your name is on the Election Day Computerized Voters List (EDCVL) and will also check if your nail has an indelible ink mark. If there is no indelible ink mark, EB will verify your identity and ask you to sign with EDCVL.
6. The Chairman will show you that the ballot is neat and clean and will place the ballot in the ballot secrecy folder before giving it to the voter along with the marking pen.
7. Go to the voting area and vote by shading the oval before the name of the candidate you are going to vote for.
8. After voting, feed the ballot into the Vote Counting Machine (VCM), wait for the machine to scan your ballot and print the receipt. Return the folder and marking pen.
9. Check the ballot receipt and place the receipt to the designated box.
10. Let the EB apply the indelible ink to the nail of your right index finger.
11. Exit the polling place and voting center after voting.
As part of their voter’s education campaign, COMELEC Pangasinan is currently conducting vote counting machine (VCM) roadshow demonstrations in different parts of the province.
The roadshow provided voters information on the proper voting process and presented the VCM’s functions and security features.
Lawyer Michael Franks Sarmiento, election officer of Dagupan City, said the basic dos and don’ts should be remembered so that the voters will be properly guided during the Election Day.
“Hindi sapat 'yong i-exercise natin 'yong rights natin to participate in the democratic process, ang pinakaimportante dyan, i-exercise natin ng tama para hindi po masayang ang inyong karapatan,” he said. (JCR/AMB/EMSA/PIA Pangasinan)
