2010 Election Day

It’s everyone dream to become part of any history-making event. And the 2010 National and Local Election is one of the many events where a regular guy can take part. Actually, even those who did not graduate college or high school as long as s/he is 18 years old are eligible to participate in this exercise.

Being a fully-automated election is what makes the 2010 Poll different and history-making. Beside from exercising our constitutional right of suffrage, this election’s process is Philippine’s and Asia’s first.

I woke up early that day, 5 o’ clock in the morning. I was excited and feeling nervous. I still remember the first time I joined in an electoral process; I was 15-year old student then participating in the Sangguniang Kabataan election. I took a cold bath and took my breakfast. I planned to arrive early at my precinct. The polling place is roughly 700 meters from our house in Tago, Surigao del Sur.

I arrived in the polling center, Bayani Elementary School, at around 7:30 AM; I proceeded to look for my precinct and asked for my number from Ma’am Tonet Oliverio, my former neighbor. There were people on queue at my precinct and some were already casting their votes on a long ballot; I was number 32.

While waiting on the line, we observed how the voters cast their votes and placed their ballots on the People’s Machine or PCOS. There was somewhat a feeling of thrill and awe when the first ballot was inserted in the PCOS. People immediately clapped their hands after the first ballot was accepted by the machine successfully. The elation of the people was cut-short, however, when the two succeeding ballots were spit out by the machine. After a few tries, the PCOS finally accepted them.

The people who witness the incidence realized how sensitive PCOS is. This prompted them to exercise prudence in handling and shading their ballots. “Kaamli baya nan iton People’s Machine!,” they said.

It only took me roughly 5-minutes to cast my vote – from shading the long ballot and inserting it to the machine. I had with me a kudigo (a list).

I went back to house. My parents were already preparing to leave for Camagong to have their votes cast. I took my backpack and went straight outside to take a tricycle ride to Tandag City. I was going back to Cagayan de Oro to report to work the following day.

The following day, I checked the net and knew who won in my hometown.