Disappointing Election for First Timers

We were up very early this morning for the elections.  We thought that people will cram the precincts later so it's better to be there early.   Also, this marks the day of change. And after all this is not a queue for free ipods but a national event.

When we reach the voting area, there were lots of eager voters spread all over the place.  Drenched in their own perspiration, people looked confused, impatient, angry, disappointed; all a picture of an apparently chaotic procedure. AGAIN?  Yes, again.

We reached the middle of the ground perplexed where to start.  After a while, a neighbor told us that we have to find the room where our precincts can be found.   The board has no conspicuous signs that says it is where we can find the lists.  First oversight.

And since my daughter had to vote in a separate precinct, we decided to accompany her to the room where it was.  We were informed that one had to get a number first but there were no numbers available because the precinct in-charge said that they had to give up to 100 only while the other precincts give numbers up to 200.   I suggested that they give more numbers because the people were piling and there was no one explaining the whole process.  They did not even tell the crowd at the door that the line was at the adjacent room.  Second oversight.

Each precinct chairman had instructions that people had to find their names in the list under their precinct number and had to remember their numbers in the list.  This for the reason that it will be easier for them to find the name of the voter.  But these people did not foresee that the area at the door will be jam-packed with people looking for their names and numbers making it congested.  Third oversight.

Senior citizens and the physically disabled were prioritized.  That became an advantage to us because Papsie was given priority and the privilege was extended to me because I was with him to assist him.   There was no problem about this but they could have only assigned a percentage per batch basing on the majority of the voters.  Fourth oversight.

There were still people pulling the string.  Some still can go inside the precinct even if their numbers do not belong to the batch being processed.  The palakasan system is still on the rise.  Fifth oversight.

Sad to say that daughter Kay decided not to vote.  We planned to visit her precinct later at 6 PM but chose not to anymore because at 3 PM only 30% of the expected votes was accomplished.

How about if the results are less than half of what was anticipated?  I am afraid that a big number of voters will be like my daughter who got disappointed of the whole process.