TODAY, October 30, Filipinos exercised their right to vote during the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE), to elect leaders, young and old, to serve in their respective barangays.
Despite the significance of exercising your right to vote, we all know how time-consuming voting could be due to long lines, crowded voting places, and unclear room/precinct designations.
To give you an idea of what to expect when you arrive at your voting precincts, here’s how a typical voting day went!
What to expect during your voting experience
The streets were already lively and crowded around 10 a.m. Some people were on their way home after voting, while others were just getting set to vote, just like me.
Photo Courtesy: Bryan Gadingan
I left home at 10:10AM and arrived at my designated voting location, Pres. Sergio Osmeña High School in Gagalangin, Tondo, Manila, at 10:20AM.
Traffic was only light to moderate, given that it was still quite early to vote, and our place has a fair share of voters only.
Photo Courtesy: Bryan Gadingan
However, to my surprise, my voting location was already crowded inside, and given how congested the location was, it was difficult for me to find the appropriate room for precincts upon entering the school.
Based on my observation, it also took voters some time to find their precinct, therefore lines were moving slower than usual. After locating my designated precinct, the waiting game began as the long line snaked before me.
Photo Courtesy: Bryan Gadingan
After nearly an hour of waiting, I was allowed to enter the classroom at 11:13AM and was requested to write my name and provide my fingerprint stamps for registration before receiving the official ballots for both Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan.
I finally started to cast my vote at exactly 11:17AM, after being allowed by the electoral board, and finished voting after 15 minutes. Voting times may differ from person to person. It is preferable to take your time and carefully consider who you will vote for.
Based on my estimates, the entire voting procedure might take an hour to an hour and a half, depending on how crowded your allocated voting center is and how much time a voter spends determining who to vote for.
After filling out the ballot, I was asked to fold it and insert it in the ballot box, and the Electoral Board then put indelible ink on my right index finger.
Photo Courtesy: Bryan Gadingan
As a first-time BSKE voter, it was an overall fun and challenging experience, as the future of my community lies on every vote I casted on my ballot. Despite some hiccups, it was a fulfilling day as I got to exercise my right to vote.
A friendly reminder
Through experience, I learned that voters between the ages of 15 and 17 will receive an SK ballot, those between the ages of 18 and 30 would receive both an SK and a standard barangay ballot.
Voters aged 31 and up, on the other hand, will receive only a barangay ballot.
I was clueless at first because unlike in a national election, BSKE voters will be given a blank voting ballot with no names, as well as a list of candidates that will be kept inside a ballot-secrecy folder to protect their votes.
