Was the automation all right? Did you get to vote easy enough?
By eileenleyva
@eileenleyva (27560)
Philippines
May 9, 2010 8:30pm CST
I was up and about early enough for the first automated election in the Philippines. My daughters, first time voters, gave me the look when I prodded them to hurry up one and a half hours before the precincts open. I told them that there would be an influx of excited voters and the first hour would be critical. True enough, the lines had already congested the single gate and the senior citizens were given priority to enter 15 minutes before polling time. Still, the elderly were pitiful to see as they take the stairs step by step with the aid of a cane. Surprisingly, I never heard a single complaint from the old people. They may be old but they know how important their one vote is in the election. But just as exemplary the senior citizens were, the youth must also be commended. They were also there eager to be heard. And they quietly and patiently waited in the long queues.
The pcos machine in my precinct registered my ballot number 33. And congratulations flashed in the rectangular screen, a cue that my vote was already counted. Whether correctly or not, that leaves to be seen. But the automation was all right.
What about in your place? Did you get to vote easy enough?
2 people like this
19 responses
@juggerogre (1653)
• Philippines
10 May 10
I was early in the precinct so I finished early. Maybe the people in our place are not that excited for the election :D. Overall it was good. The machine accepted my ballot. I really hope that they fix the counting mechanism. If not then my vote is for naught. Can't wait for the result. I really hope my candidate will win the presidency :D Thanks :D
@eileenleyva (27560)
• Philippines
10 May 10
If everything goes well, we could have the leaderboard by midnight, according to Gani Yambot of Inquirer. Like you, I am also hoping my bet wins!
@LetranKnight25 (33121)
• Philippines
10 May 10
sadly for those who are coming in late or this afternoon because it's going to one hell of the heated election process
@neildc (17239)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
10 May 10
i think this election is the best. but i hate the system of some BEI's they did in some precinct/cluster. just like in the cluster me and my wife belonged. they will let 20 people inside and they will wait everyone inside to finish before they will call another 20. i guess it could be better and fast if they will not let everyone gets finished and they will let another people come in when someone finish voting, like filling in the gap, so they everyone can vote fast and the voting system is smooth. i just hate it, the lining-up for priority number and again line up before your number is called. how can you imagine, spending 7 hours in that place to cast your vote for only 10 minutes.
1 person likes this
@neildc (17239)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
10 May 10
@anna. i really think that the problem is with the BEI's because there are some precincts that didn't took hours and people got to vote fast. this is something that the comelec should take note and make adjustments in the next elections, if this election will not going to be declared at failure.
@annavi23 (6522)
• Philippines
10 May 10
yeah, i also experienced the same thing,like in my precint.actually in the room there was like 4 precints there and so makes the voters wait for so long.
we make the line for about 10am then we get to vote at 3pm,wow! how nice!
it's just like some BEI's were just hard to deal with!
1 person likes this
@jules67 (2788)
• Philippines
10 May 10
My experience with today's election is good. I waited for 2 hours but it was just fine. Our precinct did not experience any machine malfunction. At around 9 am, I think, senior citizens were give importance and also those who are pregnant and with disabilities.
@mrfdg1972 (3237)
• Philippines
10 May 10
i am no 18 in the ballot cast, i came before 7am. so far everything is well in our town, despite long lines and hot humid weather.
1 person likes this
@eileenleyva (27560)
• Philippines
10 May 10
Early bird, too, huh! I had a little confusion as to where my new clustered room assignment was. And I allowed a few old people to go first. Otherwise, I think I should have been first in line. But I am glad it was over. Now the wait for the winners begins. 
@sweechi (157)
• Philippines
10 May 10
i went there around 10 am. After a few minutes of waiting, I was able to cast my vote. Though it was hot, i was glad that it was just short period of waiting time. Although the line up was all mix up, it is still easy. My ballot was 254 already.
I guess we were lucky that we were able to vote faster than what can be heard from the news.
@kreez21 (52)
• Netherlands
10 May 10
It's too bad I didn't get to vote. I was not able to register in the embassy here. I tell you the embassy here is just so poor with communication and information dissemination. Haay, such a waste. Anyway, I really hope and pray that this election will be a turning point for the Philippines.
@GardenGerty (160491)
• United States
10 May 10
This is not an election time where I live, but I find your comments interesting. I think it is significant that all portions of your society were eager to vote and knew that it was an important duty.
@Masmasika (1921)
• Philippines
10 May 10
As customary to my sister and me every election day, we went very early to the precinct this morning. We wanted to be the first to vote but when we went there, a lot of people were already queuing to vote. My sister was sick but she wanted to cast her vote. Luckily we finished after only a few minutes. It was easy enough and there was no problem at all. But I heard problems arose in some places.
1 person likes this
@TheAdvocate (2392)
• Philippines
10 May 10
I was also early because I served in PPCRV. The public school where we were assigned was small, we only had 8 clustered precincts, with about 8000 or so voters. We arrived before 5:30 a.m. to set-up everything. There were some glitches, paper jams mostly, but overall I think the excitement in using a pcos machine was everyone's focus. There were no flying voters or vote-buying that we witnessed or arrested. I endured more than 2 hours of queueing because I chose to vote in the morning. I should have voted in the afternoon, there were no more lines. The excitement was palpable. There were of course the usual problems of hard-headed voters who intentionally took with them campaign materials. Although there were these two first-time voters who were wearing Noynoy's singlet, who, after their attention was called laughingly remarked that their presidential candidate was a secret.
But you know what I loved most about this election? The fact that in a little less than an hour, we knew who won already.
1 person likes this
@emerillus (467)
• Philippines
10 May 10
At the start, it was not so orderly in my place because the classrooms were small that only 10 people at a time were allowed inside. It took me 3 hours of waiting to get my number called. it was so hot and then it started to drizzle that almost all the people got sick with cold. hehe. Well, a least when I was finally able to vote, there were no problem on the machine except later in the afternoon when the machine got overheated.
1 person likes this
@annavi23 (6522)
• Philippines
10 May 10
wow,election day!
actually i'm not that excited to vote,well i'm just curious how pcos machine will change to improve our elections nowadays.
here in our place,my parents have managed to vote easily cause they were senior citizens now and they didn't join the long lines not like me.they finished for about 1 hour and my sister also had just voted now,(it's her first time on national elections) she was lucky to have the precint that has shorter lines than mine.
i have not yet voted here cause of too long lines.and i planned to eat lunch first and go back after an hour.so,i checked mylot first and searched for topics like this.hope our votes will be counted the right way!
hoping our nation will change for the better!
for now,i gotta go back again for a chance to vote!
see you all later!
1 person likes this
@nehmer (607)
• Philippines
10 May 10
hi eileenleyva, the automation was scary.. i feel like im taking an exam.. im scared because maybe the machine will reject my ballot.. hopefully it did not ^^ hehehe im so happy that i voted.. i hope my vote will make a difference in our country.. im trying to convince my friends to vote so that they would not regret it. i dont want to suffer 6 yrs... =(
1 person likes this
@charylady (419)
• Philippines
10 May 10
i spent about an hour and a half at the precinct, waiting in line and casting my vote. it went smoothly enough for me; the machine accepted and counted my ballot in the first feed. however, there were other voters whose ballots were rejected even after the fourth (and last) feed into the machine. they felt quite frustrated, especially since it was not clear why the machine was rejecting their ballot.
1 person likes this
@rsa101 (38126)
• Philippines
17 May 13
Well it was smooth experience on my part. I think the precinct where we voted organized the flow of transactions there unlike when we voted there in 2010 presidential election where the voting was chaotic and we have to line up for several hours just so we can vote. It took us only about half an hour to line up and vote. Voting took me about 10-15 minutes only. What is funny is that we prepared biscuits, water and some towel as we anticipate a very large crowd in there but when we arrive there were a few and finding our precincts was swift and we were put in a place were we are suppose to line up and the rest is history.
@LetranKnight25 (33121)
• Philippines
10 May 10
Hello eileen,
Here in Cavite the Automated Election went well. but i guess with a bit of my ignorance i didn't ask the new precinct, reason is that in the last Elections it was easy to vote since it was done in school and it was a very large place pero class room. but now the school closed (didn't know) that we had to go back to the barangay hall again to vote there, first time i had to fall in line for 30 minutes.
as planned. i voted for Gordon and Bayani, but i didn't vote for senatorial and local candidates because i was too nervous with the shade that i feared that i could cause error or ballot might not accept it so i just ended up not voting for them, why? it was plan from the very beginning
for me, it was alright
@yresh12 (3212)
• Philippines
10 May 10
Hello eileen!!
Good for you. You'r vote had already been officially counted. As for me, I did not register for the elections. I don't know I missed 2 elections ever-since i was able to vote. I hope who ever wins could make a difference and help our country in a lot of ways possible.
@alexies29 (124)
• Philippines
10 May 10
Unfortunately, I don't get to vote today because I was not able to go home. But my friends told me that the automation is easy. It's just the waiting period that pisses them off. But of course, it's worth the wait!
