Vote according to your conscience

Today, the estimated 61,843,750 registered voters throughout the country will troop to polling precincts to cast their votes in this mid-term elections. The positions at stake are 12 senators, one party-list groups, district representatives, governors and vice governors and members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (to be elected per district), city and municipal mayors and vice mayors and members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod and Sangguniang Bayan, respectively.

The elections in the country are held every three years and on the second Monday of May as provided for in the 1987 Constitution. Except for the Senate, whose winners will serve for the next six years with one reelection, winners of all the other elective positions will only serve for three years and are entitled to two reelections, or a total of three terms (straight nine years if reelected).

In the House of Representatives, there are 292 seats at stake, of which 80 percent are contested in a single-seat electoral district and 20 percent are allotted to party-lists, according to a modified Hare quota (also known as simple quota, which is used to set the minimum number of seats allocated to each party or coalition) with remainders disregarded and a three-seat cap. Party-list seats are only accessible to marginalized and under-represented groups or parties, local parties and sectoral wings of major parties that represent the marginalized.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said polling precincts manned by teachers that compose the electoral board (one chairperson and two members) will open at 6 a.m. and close at 6 p.m. But voters who are already in the premises of the polling precincts after 6 p.m. should be accommodated.

Here’s how to cast your votes. Once a registered voter finds his name in the voter’s list and locates the correct precinct, he may fall in line for the distribution of the ballot. The voter will have to shade the oval or oblong that is indicated before the name of the candidate and the corresponding number in the ballot. After accomplishing everything, the ballot will be fed to the vote counting

machine (VCM). The results are then printed as the election return and sent electronically to the city or municipal board of canvassers.

Based on Comelec data, the average voter turnout in the last three elections was 78 percent, with 2016 having 84 percent, 2013 with 77 percent and 2010 with 74 percent. Political analysts said that factors like economic development, confidence on political institutions and potential political manipulations may affect the voter turnout. Economic development and poverty incidence were the factors that were most indicative of voter turnout. This is where vote buying comes into play.

The Comelec has intensified its campaign against vote buying, which is very rampant and widespread in every political exercise in the country. This is because of poverty. Most of the people, especially low-income families or those with no means of livelihood, need money. That is why they sell their votes to the highest bidder. The buying rate now in urban areas like Cebu City is between P1,000 to P1,500 per voter. In offering money, goods and services, there are three ways in which givers might hope to get recipients to vote or not to vote for a particular candidate. Giving something or freebies might influence the voter. This practice has been going on since time immemorial. Panahon pa ning Mampor.

The Comelec, in coordination with the police and military, has created a task force against vote buying that will arrest and prosecute violators. I doubt if the practice will be stopped. I am sure that last night, and even during the ongoing voting today, there are candidates who are buying votes and voters who are selling their votes. Even at noon, there are still many voters who are waiting for candidates to offer them something. Vote buying comes in many forms not only through direct monetary consideration. Since it is very hard to monitor and arrest violators much more prosecute them, we will just appeal to voters to vote according to their conscience. “Dapat Tama. Dapat Pusuan.”

I am sure that last night and even during the ongoing voting today, there are candidates who are buying votes and voters who are selling their votes

We assess the personality and character of a candidate not as an end but as a means to an end. The end, of course, is to move our country and the localities forward in all aspects: economic, social, cultural, political, etc. Meaning that we vote for a candidate not merely because he is good but more so because he is good for the country or the localities.