‘It is at this point, too, where voters should be double checking their registration status with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to ensure there will be no snafu on voting day. Vote suppression tactics are real…’
WE have entered into the most precarious time of any election cycle: the last two weeks.
Here, time will be distorted: it may seem only 14 more days, but in truth, it may be the longest stretch of time for candidates and their teams. Most people will be surprised to find out that a good chunk of voters only think about who they will be voting for during this period; some admit to making the decision when the ballot is staring them in the face, at the polling precinct. My theory here is simple: many Filipino voters are preoccupied with worrying about where their next meal is going to come from to pay attention to politics months or even weeks away from election day.
While it is also true that election-related news certainly reaches their eyeballs (especially in the era of social media), there are far too many other worries that occupy their minds — how to pay for debt, how to avoid getting sick with COVID, how long they will spend waiting in line to get a ride home. To be able to seriously sit down and consider your vote is a privilege, which means that the last two weeks is fertile ground to reach voters who do not share this advantage.
This insight is also the reason why political advertising will be at its loudest during this period; candidates who have the resources will proceed to bombard the airwaves with everything they have. Recall will now take precedence over any other message, especially for party-list and senatorial candidates, as you have to ensure that when a voter scans that ballot on election day, your name (and ideally, your face) will be recognizable, in the hope that the circle next to the candidate’s name will be shaded.
Serious contenders for any post will also be paying more attention to voter protection and getting their poll watchers in place. It is, as with most everything about campaigns, a resources and logistics question. Another facet worth looking at is the switching of allegiances when it comes to alliances; these will either hold or break at this juncture, and such is the nature of our politics.
It is at this point, too, where voters should be double-checking their registration status with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to ensure there will be no snafu on voting day. Vote suppression tactics are real, especially on the local level, so voters should take every precaution against strategies that might deter them from voting on the day itself, like sending people to crowd precincts and create a general impression to turn off voters with long lines.
While we can only gnash our teeth at these tactics, we can plan and prepare ahead to make certain that we are not stymied by such actions. Organize your family members and prepare for long lines; bring snacks, water, fans, power banks, and books to occupy you while waiting. Memorize and write down your precinct ahead of time so you can skip the task of looking for it on election day itself. Do the same for your candidates, if possible; the shorter time it takes for you to cast your ballot means a lesser wait for others waiting outside.
Encourage others to make the same preparations to avoid dropouts while waiting in line on May 9. While I understand that it is allowed to wear your candidate’s color (without any names or other markings) on election day, my suggestion is to refrain from doing so, as it will easily catch the eye of others who may wish to target you with their antics. Someone can easily raise a fuss (despite knowing that wearing colors is not prohibited) and hold up the entire voting process while election officers try to placate them. Again, every minute spent on unnecessary distractions caused by one is a minute added to someone’s else’s waiting time, and that extra minute may very well be the cause of them just giving up and going home.
Whoever your chosen candidate is, I hope all of you go out and exercise your fundamental right to choose our country’s leaders come election day.
