A Quick Guide to Philippine Elections

The next national and local elections in the Philippines will be held next year, on 9th May 2022, to be exact. As the date draws near, many Filipinos -- registered voters and prospective candidates alike -- have already begun preparing for this significant event.

That being said, it’s also important for us to know more about the Philippine elections in general. What are the different national and local positions to be filled? How long are officials expected to serve? What are the steps involved in the voting process? These are just some of the things that we’ll be discussing in this article.

National Elections

Since 1992, the national elections have been held every three years, specifically on the second Monday of May. On the national level, people vote for a President, Vice President, and Senators, each of which are elected for a six-year term. They also vote for members of the House of Representatives, who are elected to serve for a three-year term.

Notably, the Senate consists of 24 members, with 12 members elected every national elections. This means that each voter can vote for up to 12 candidates come election time. On the other hand, the voter has two votes for the House of Representatives: one for single-member districts, and another for party-list representatives.

Local Elections

Local elections are synchronized with the national elections (i.e. every three years). On the provincial level, people vote for a Governor, Vice Governor, and one to seven SangguniangPanlalawigan (Provincial Board) members. On the municipal or city level, they vote for a Mayor, Vice Mayor, and four to 12 Sangguniang Bayan (Municipal Council) or SangguniangPanlungsod (City Council) members. Each of these officials are elected for a three-year term.

Barangay Elections

On the barangay level, people vote for a Punong Barangay (Barangay Chairman or Barangay Captain), seven Sangguniang Barangay (Barangay Council) members, a.k.a. Barangay Kagawads, a SangguniangKabataan or SK (Youth Council) Chairperson, and seven SK Kagawads (Youth Council members). These officials are elected for a three-year term, with elections held every three years, but usually not at the same time as other local positions. 

The Voting Process

The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) is the agency responsible for carrying out the Philippine elections. Several months before each election, the COMELEC opens voter registration. Who can vote? Filipino citizens who are -- 18 years old and above on the day of the elections, have been residing for at least six months in the place where they are registered,  and have been residing in the Philippines for at least a year -- qualify to be a voter.

On election day, voters search for their names in the official voters’ lists and head to the precincts where they are assigned. Each is given a ballot, where they have to shade the circle representing the candidates of their choice. These ballots are entered into Smartmaticmachines, which automatically count the votes. Results are then printed and sent to the Board of Canvassers at the municipal or city level, and eventually to the provincial, and later the national Board of Canvassers, which declares the winners for national positions.

Some Final Thoughts

As you can see, elections in the Philippines involve a systematic process, with schedules in place, depending on the positions to be filled. Of course, it’s important that you register as a voter first, in order to participate and practice your right to vote. For more information about the elections, you can visit the official website of COMELEC at https://comelec.gov.ph/.