The Art Of My First-Time Voting Experience

Finally, I voted for my chosen candidates today. I did not attend any rallies, but on election day, I did my part to support them. My heart is overjoyed but yet worried about the findings, which will be announced later or tomorrow. Now I understand the sense of accomplishment, as if you made a decision that you will never regret in the next six years. I was emphatic about who I would vote for, who are Bongbong Marcos and Inday Sara. I opted to vote in the upcoming election because I knew Bongbong would run for President, but I had no idea Inday Sara would run for Vice President. Even though I am not certain if they were allies, I still vote for both of them because I envision them working together for the good of our country, particularly the economy, without bickering. (You remember what happened to the last President and Vice President, don't you?) If the other party wins, I will still support and wish them well for the country. There is no use in shaming or vilifying them; instead, let us pray for their good intentions in our country.

May 8, 2022 Evening

When I asked my brother-in-law what time we would go to the voting place, he answered 6 a.m. since it would be warmer and there would be fewer people. I prepared everything in my bag for tomorrow. You may read my post about the election and certain procedures that will be very helpful to a first-time voter like myself here. Inside my bag, I have the paper they gave me when I registered, which has my precinct number, a valid ID, and a vaccination card in case they are needed. I also keep a ballpen, alcohol, and my phone. The rest are only for girls, you know. hehe. I prepped my kodigo for voting tomorrow so that I would not choose anyone on the ballot mistakenly. I also arrange what I'll wear tomorrow to save down on time spent getting ready.

Before going to bed, I noticed my cat sleeping happily on my lap, so I seized the opportunity to photograph him. He dislikes having his photo taken when he is awake, but now I have the opportunity. Isn't he adorable?

May 9, 2022 Morning

I awoke at 5:30 a.m. and immediately prepared myself by brewing a cup of coffee. I was thinking that there would be a lot of people at our voting station, so I needed to hurry because my brother in law had already done everything. We arrived at the precinct at 6 a.m., and it took me about 15 minutes to find my room. I proceed to the queue after getting my number, which is number one as my surname begins with the letter A. There are two lines for voters aged 18 to 59, and another for senior citizens and maybe other PWD voters. The queue I was in was so sluggish that even though I was only 11 from the front, it took me years to come to grips. The reason for this is that some parents acquire their children's numbers and line up, and their children will follow them even if they arrive late. I just saw two parents like that here. Another reason is the senior citizen; I'm not sure how they handle it, but what I observe is that they get 5 senior citizens before receiving one from the 18-59 year old lines, which is why it took us so long. Lastly, I saw that even in the senior citizen queues, some of them head to the first line rather than the last line since they had just arrived. Sumisingit sila mga vebs, kawawa naman yung mga nakapilang ibang senior citizen din.I'm not attacking anyone; I'm only sharing my experience as my first voter.

If I'm not mistaken, there were five poll watchers in one room, four inside and one outside. The lines were not as clean since some people were ditching and not following the lines. The poll watcher is too hesitant to instruct them to line up. I believe it is just a question of self-discipline, even if no one tells you otherwise. When they called me inside, I merely gave them my number, they let me sign the record book as confirmation that I voted, and they handed me the ballot. Before I begin shading circles, I check my kodigo that I wrote the night before to prevent selecting erroneous choices. After shading and double-checking, I insert my ballot into the machine and wait for the receipt to ensure that I voted for the proper number and name. I exit the room after they have inked my finger and thank the watcher who has accommodated me. Following that, I walked to my brother-in-law, who had finished first and was waiting for me outside. We simply purchase bread from the nearest bakery and return home. We arrived home around 8 a.m. It took us two hours to vote, and I hope they win this battle. Fingers crossed.

What was my feelings as a first time voter?

I am happy, in fact, I am extremely happy. I am overjoyed to have voted in this election, which has received the most attention and generated the most commotion. I hope the hate dies down once new national and local positions are established. It's funny because my friends and I didn't discuss who we would vote for, yet we ended up voting almost similarly. We just give each other's candidates respect and honor without questioning them. I feel family and friends are more important to me than battling each other over other politicians. Six years is way too long, so I hope we all voted carefully. Thank you hugely!

What are your opinions on the election?

The lead image and the other images were taken by myself.

Publishing Date: May 9, 2022