What It Was Like Registering to Vote For the First Time... During a Pandemic

It was a brief trip to city hall to be given the purple ink of hope

The voter's registration for the upcoming 2022 Philippine elections or Halalan is nearing its deadline on September 30, 2021. After weeks of delay due to the onslaught of COVID-19 cases, I had finally mustered the courage to leave home and travel to the nearest Office of the Elections Officer in my city. Admittedly, it was my first time registering to vote and figured that it was long overdue.

Though I had anticipated a long line that extended to the foot of the building, I arrived at an almost empty city hall. After being greeted by a guard at the counter to fill up a logbook and handed a queue number by staff, I was led towards a batch of socially distanced chairs that were arranged to face the platform at the centre of the building.

An administrator stood in front to briefly remind us of which documents to bring upstairs such as printed application forms and a photocopy of your birth certificate or valid ID. Conveniently, those who had forgotten to bring theirs had the option to acquire one from a staff member patiently standing by with a set of forms in hand. A photocopier could also be found on the same floor.

Above Photo: Judgefloro / Wikimedia Commons

While waiting for the line to move, I had a chance to look around. I noticed that more people had arrived to fill in the empty seats behind me. Suddenly, it was crowded.

But merely less than an hour later, we were asked to walk three flights of stairs and proceed inside a room where the actual registration process began. Inside were two separate columns of chairs.

On the right side were administrators handling the first step. They were in charge of reviewing applications. They classified each individual, whether they were registering to vote for the first time, reactivating or changing records. They also asked us to sign the forms before proceeding with the second step: logging of applications.

The second step also did not take long. After reviewing my application, the administrator logged the information into the Election Registration Board’s (ERB) system. Once he was done, he handed me a stub to present at the last counter, along with the signed set of forms and my photocopied birth certificate.

Above Photo: Wesley Tingey / Unsplash

In contrast to the spacious room where the first two steps were held, the last step—biometrics capturing—was done at a counter beside the first room. It was located alongside a narrow hallway and the queue for the final step was almost nonexistent.

A printed sign was posted on a wall. Below the sign was a table with inkpads placed at the top. After placing indelible thumb marks on the forms, I sat on a chair facing the last counter.

When it was my turn, I handed the forms to the person in charge of capturing biometrics and was told to keep the stub I was handed before. I was signalled to remove my mask for them to take my photo and was asked for my digital fingerprints and signature.

Some of my colleagues also braved through a large crowd just to have their names on the voter's record in the upcoming elections. Admittedly, I was hesitant in fear of COVID-19 and had anticipated a long line. But the thought of more people leaving the comfort of their houses to register is encouraging. Besides, my thumb had long been itching for that purple ink of hope.

Tatler Asia

What It Was Like Registering to Vote For the First Time... During a Pandemic