Come May 13, we will cast our votes for our chosen candidates whom most of us believe will give us a better future (as if the status quo is already good enough). We will install new senators, new representatives in the provincial, city/municipal and barangay positions. For better understanding why half of the 24 senators are elected every 3 years, I highly recommend that you read the Term of Office of Senators from this page.

The Philippines practices plurality electoral system, commonly known as “first-past-the-post” or “winner-take-all” where the individual candidate who receives the most votes in an election gets the seat (King, 2000). In the case of the senators, the top 12 who get the most votes are elected.

The country has seen a varying degree of democracy throughout its history; fortunately, it did not teeter from holding its constitutionally-mandated elections — although we know it is not the best out there, we nevertheless take into careful consideration that its citizens are not disenfranchised of their right to suffrage.

As voters, we partially examine the platforms/campaign promises of candidates who appeal to us in a persuasive or dim-witted manner. But our prejudgments have a prevailing effect in our decision-making. We innately envelop their identity in their party affiliation — it is like saying, “if we like your party, there are high chances we will like you and vote for you” or to be more precise, “I like Bam Aquino and he is from the same party as you, so I might vote for you.” It is unfortunate when things happen oppositely. That’s a major drawback in spending millions for ads, because we have a fixed mindset regardless of their campaign jingle, celebrity endorser, etc. And retrospectively, it disappoints us to have witnessed a glaring medical trend from the winning candidates — amnesia of worst kind, where their campaign promises are mere lip service when assuming office. Because of these preconceived beliefs, our confidence in every running candidate is gradually falling into tiny bits. The more romantic we are, the more our rationality plays a small role in our voting decisions.

According to an article on TIME Magazine, What kind of voter are you? – How America Decides, there are four kinds of voters: rational, passive, frugal and intuitive. It would be helpful to assess ourselves where we stand in the spectrum and analyze the accompanying results. What can we contribute to resolve some of the most pressing socio-economic issues in the country? Is it beneficial to be rational, passive, frugal or intuitive in the voting precincts? What kind of leader will we elect if we are a rational, passive, frugal or intuitive voter?

What kind of regime have we installed from our past voting behaviors?

Do you wish to maintain the status quo? Or change it? If so, who do you think are the capable leaders from the long list of running candidates?

Are we seeing a better Philippines (a democracy for the people, of the people and by the people) or a doomed nation-state (run by dictators, partly controlled by foreign oligarchs?)

Featured image source: Philippine Primer