Lesson 6 – Voter Citizenship Education

• Voter education

  • cover the political and electoral system, human rights, and governance that serve to contribute to efforts at developing matured and informed political attitudes and decisions of Filipino citizen-voters
• Election - the means by which the people choose their officials for definite and fixed periods.
• Different types of electoral exercises: regular elections (national, local, barangay, ARMM, SK) & special elections (plebiscite, referendum, initiative, recall)
• Right of suffrage - Suffrage is the human right to vote to which, in the Philippines, is embodied in three documents: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; and, The 1987 Philippine Constitution
• Qualified to vote in Philippine elections

  • Citizens of the Philippines; 18 years old and above on the day

  of elections; A resident of the Philippines for one year and in the city or municipality wherein he/she proposes to vote for at least six months before the elections.
• Qualified to vote under the overseas absentee voting law

  • Filipino citizen abroad, 18 years old and above on the day of elections, Immigrants with affidavit to resume residence in the Philippines,

  Permanent residents with affidavit of intent to resume residence in the Philippines
• Disqualified by law to vote in Philippine elections

  • Persons sentenced to be imprisoned for not less than one year, Persons who committed rebellion, sedition, violation of the anti-subversion and firearms law, or any crime against national security or disloyalty to the government, Insane or incompetent persons
• Every 2nd Monday of May for national and local election
• Presidential and vice presidential elections are held every six years
• Midterm elections - Election Days in which the president and vice president and barangay officials are not elected
• Presidential elections - Election Days in which the president and vice president are elected
• Every last Monday of October, every 3 years for barangay and SK officials
• ons, starting from 2007, are to be held every three years during the last

  Monday of October
• Every 3 years from March 1993 – ARRM elections
• Elections for the positions in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), starting from 2011, are to be held every three years during the second Monday of May.
• Before elections - Prepare to exercise the right of suffrage and the right to an informed and free choice.
• During elections - Exercise vigilance and the right to vote
• After elections - Practice continued vigilance and participate in governance
• The Election process - Registration day, Revision day, List of votes, Casting of votes, Counting of votes, Preparation of election returns and other reports, Distribution of election returns, Proclamation of winning candidates
• Plebiscite

  • people approve or reject the call for a Constitution
• Sectoral Representation - party-list system of representation gives sectors the chance to be represented in Congress together with Congressmen/women or Representative
• Absentee Voting system – “Republic Act 9189 or the Absentee Voting Law” allows qualified Filipinos abroad to vote in national elections in the Philippines