Hey, register to vote for next year’s election before it’s too late

“Nothing beats the Millennial laziness,” an orgmate once told me. He presented an argument about how our generation is partly accountable for our current political crisis. During election periods, timelines consist of keyboard warriors and online activists alike but not half of those vote.

If you happen to be one of these, I understand. It’s not that you don’t care; you are just busy with life and media is the longest you can go. Sure, it is an emerging medium in this modern world but activism doesn’t stop at classrooms and screens.

Read also: The rebellion behind SONA is the real state of the nation

Overwhelmed? You can start by registering to vote for next year’s midterm elections. The voting registration period is ending soon on Sept. 29. I know, going all the way to the local COMELEC Center to register sounds daunting especially now that it’s urgent. You can check if your barangay hall will be participating in satellite registration in NCR this month.

If you’re running a little too late for the barangay registration, you’ll have to dedicate some time and drag yourself to the COMELEC field office. (Come on, skip that 2-hour Netflix binge) Here’s a step-by-step guide from the article “A comprehensive guide on voter registration” by NoliSoli.ph.

The following are the qualifications according to the poll body:

• Filipino
• At least 18 years old by the date of the May 2019 election
• Resident of the Philippines for at least one year
• A resident in the place, for at least six months, immediately preceding the election, where they propose to vote
• Not disqualified by law

Here are the disqualifications:

• A person who has been sentenced imprisonment for not less than one year, which is not removed by plenary pardon or amnesty;
• Any person who has been found guilty of rebellion, insurrection, violation of the firearms laws, or any crime against national security; and
• Insane or incompetent person as declared by competent authority

If you fit the provisions, proceed to the nearest COMELEC field office—you need to appear personally to file your application—with the following requirements:

• 2 valid IDs with the applicant’s photograph, address, and name
• Accepted IDs:
  ◦ Current employee’s ID with the signature of the employer or authorized representative;
  ◦ Postal ID;
  ◦ Student’s ID or library card, signed by the school authority;
  ◦ Driver’s license;
  ◦ NBI/PNP clearance;
  ◦ Passport;
  ◦ SSS/GSIS ID and;
  ◦ Any other ID which fits the criteria
• 3 filled out copies of the Revised Form for Voter Registration (Revised CEF-1). Download a copy here.

After submitting the documents, your biometrics will be taken—photograph, digital signature, and fingerprints.

When you’re in the clear, just exercise your right to vote. Remember, the youth will be the future. This is an inevitable phenomenon. But you don’t have to wait for the future to start exercising your rights and contributing to the whole of society.

You don’t have to be a victim of oppression to recognize its occurrence and be part of resistance. The famous quote from Desmond Tutu goes, “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”

Art by Ela King

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