Election 2010: Making History

I went out to vote in the morning today. I wouldn't let this chance slip away. This is the first automated election in my country, and likewise the first time I am to vote. My right to vote accepts no excuse to be denied.

I didn't only wish that my candidate would win, but instead I also prayed that whoever gets to be elected on whatever position, he is whom God has intended for that. God's will is priority. But I have a candidate whom I'm rooting for. I'm a voter after all.

We took off to the precincts early, around 7:30 AM. Early huh? We were proven to be wrong by a multitude of early birds who have filled the place aiming to fall in line and be the first ones to finish. Whoa, there's a lot of voters even just in our place. I was thinking to myself, imagine how much people there are in this country, with many other voting precincts with probably the same scenario as ours. But the good thing here is many people came out to vote! There are not many who are belittling their one vote. There are more people who would rather take their part in this history-making event than those who'd probably be better off walking around in a cool cozy mall or staying at home attending to their daily concerns.

This isn't new, but the lines were inconveniently slow. Often stuck and not proceeding, the queues were making people exhausted, thirsty and hungry as the minutes dragged on. The heat of the sun aggravated the situation even more. And while more and more voters arrived, the place was getting more crowded, and the lines were getting longer.

We always wait a lot in times like this. It sounds easy, but the truth is it requires a lot of patience and determination. And in this case, it is determination to cast your vote that is one vital factor.

How much was it an inconvenience when the machine would not work. It made the voting process proceed even slower. That's what the case was in my precinct. But good thing, after a somewhat good deal of time, they got it working well again, although it isn't always so friendly. When finally my chance came, I was able to vote. For the first time!

During those instances whenever either the machine won't work or the line simply just won't move, people would be complaining, saying better are the manual elections. But fortunately the day continued and perhaps everyone was able to vote after all.

I'd try to relate more stories some other time when I'm not this sleepy. Feels like I don't know 75% of what I'm saying anymore. Anyways, congratulations to my fellow countrymen. There were just a few cases of trouble reported, and so far things are going the right way. On top of that, let's give ourselves a tap at the back for being able to embrace the automation of election, given this is a real first.

I'm proud to say that I came out to vote. Change will begin with our singular efforts.

**written May 10 2010**