suffrage and elections

8/12/2019 Suffrage and Elections

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Chapter 31


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Suffrage

Is the right to vote in an election and also the right to

be voted in an election and also right to be voted to

public office. By the use of the right of suffrage , thepeople determine who will run their government. The

right to vote and to run for public office is what makes

a democracy , where the leaders are inherited andappointed. In a democracy , the leaders are chosen by

the people through elections.


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The Patriotic Duty to Vote

In the previous chapter , the 1973 Constitution ,made voting compulsory and those who did not

vote could be fined or imprisoned. However , the1986 Constitution does not make voting

compulsory. Even so, it is still the patriotic duty of qualified

citizens to vote during elections. Aside frombeing a privilege, suffrage is a duty.

The success or failure of the government , thequality of officials in the public service, and thepolicies of the administration depend on thevoterschoice.


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The Patriotic Duty to Vote (cont.)

For instances, if the president and members of

Congress prove to be corrupt and dishonest, there is

nobody to blame but the citizens who voted for

them.

Any voters who fails to cast his ballot during election

day has no right to complain if the government is

corrupt or weak, because he has failed in his duty to

vote.


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Voter Qualifications Not all citizens can enjoy the right of suffrage. Only those who

have the right to vote can vote or run for public office.

According to the 1987 Constitution, voter qualifications are as

follows:

1. a Filipino citizen,

2. be 18 years old or more;

3. a resident in the Philippines for at least one year and in the

municipality where he votes at least six months before election.


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The 1987 Constitution makes provision for the

voting of Filipino abroad, or the mentally or

physically challenged (disabled) , or the illiterate

(no read, no write).

The 1987 Constitution empowers more citizens.


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Persons Who Cannot Vote

The following persons are disqualified to vote.

1. Those who have been sentenced by the court

to imprisonment of not less than one year

and have not been pardoned by thepresident.

2. Those who have violated their allegiance to

the Republic of the Philippines, and3. Insane or feeble-minded persons.


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Commission on Elections

The Commission on Elections (COMELEC)

is the constitutional body that supervises

elections (Article IX, Sec. C). It is composed

of a chairman and six commissioners.


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Procedure for Elections

All elections generally follow a procedure fixed by

law under the Constitution and the Election

Code.

Qualified voters go to the polls on election day

and cast their ballot. There are polling precincts, which are usually

schools or other public buildings.

The election inspectors, poll clerks and watcherssupervise the procedure inside the precincts

The voter fills out his ballot in complete

secrecy.


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Procedure for Elections (cont.)

The finished ballots are placed inside the sealed

ballot box until the time for counting.

At the end of the day, the ballots are counted

(canvassed) , the official result is written , and the

results are proclaimed to the public.

The public can watch the counting of the ballots.


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Kinds of Elections

Elections are of various kinds, namely:

1. General

2. National

3. Local

4. Special

Sometimes, the people may also be asked to vote

in a plebiscite, initiative , referendum or recall.


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General Elections

We mean the elections for all nation and local

officials held simultaneously on the same day.

The first general elections in the Philippines

were held on the first Tuesday June 1928,

when members of the Philippine Legislatureand local officials were elected under the

Jones Law 1916.


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National Elections

is an election for national officials, such as the President,

Vice-President, and members of the Senate , or upper

house of Congress.

The first national elections in our country were held on

September 14, 1935 , when Manuel L. Quezon and

Sergio OsmeaSr. won as President and Vice-President

respectively of the Philippines Commonwealth.


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Local Elections

Are elections for local officials in the regions ,

provinces, cities, and municipalities. The first

local elections were held on November 8,

1947


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Special Elections

Are elections held on a date different from thatof the regular elections.

There are several cause for holding a specialelection , as follows:

1. When a vacancy occurs in an elective office dueto the death or incapacity of the incumbentofficials

2. When the scheduled regular election is

postponed due to typhoon or other emergency.3. When the regular elections are cancelled due to

dirty politics terrorism , fraud, or vote-buying.


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Special Elections (cont.)

In April 11, 1983 , San Fernando , Pampanga

held a special election for its municipal mayor

because the local election on January 30, 1980

was polluted by terrorism and other frauds. So

the COMELEC nullified it and called for aspecial election.


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Elections for Constitutional Conventions

Another type of elections is the election fordelegates to a constitutional convention whowill make a new constitution for the nation.

Twice the people have gone to the polls toelect constitutional delegates.

The first time was on July 10, 1934. On thisdate, a nationwide election was held for 202

delegates to the Philippines NationalConvention. These delegates wrote the 1935Constitution.


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Elections for Constitutional

Conventions (cont.)

The second election was held on November 10,

1970 . The 320 delegates who were elected made

the 1973 Constitution.

However, the 1986 Constitution was written bydelegates who were appointed by the President

and not elected by the people. This was because ,

in the opinion of President Aquino , it was

urgent to have a new constitution and there wasno time or money to hold an election for

delegates to the Constitutional Commission.


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Plebiscite and Initiative

Aplebiscite means that a certain question of publicinterest is put to a popular vote approval ordisapproval. It have been held in the Philippines to

ratify the 1935, 1973, and 1987 Constitutions. Theeffect of the basic law depends on them.

A initiative is the direct participation of theelectorate in law-making. Under the 1986

Constitution, the public will be given theopportunity to directly propose and enact lawsafter a petition signed by a fixed number ofregistered voters (Article VI, Sec.32)


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Initiative (cont.)

The petition must be signed by at least tenpercent of the total number of registeredvoters.

The main aim of the initiative is to enable theelectorate to pass needed laws without goingthrough the Congress or the local legislativebody.

Initiative has been used in many nations inSwitzerland and in some states in the UnitedStates as a pure or direct form of democracy.


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Referendum

Referendum is when a question or a law passed byCongress is referred directly to the electorate for

its approval or rejection.

The 1986 Constitution provides for the possibilityof referendum to enable the people to approve or

reject any law or part thereof (Article VI, Sec 32)

Before 1972, no national referendum was everheld in the country. From 1971 to 1981 the people

(including the 15-18 year olds) voted in four

referenda and two combined plebiscite referenda.


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Recall

Recall is a procedure to remove an elected official

before the expiration of his term of office.

According to the Local Government Code, the

recall procedure is started when at least twenty-five per cent of the registered voters in a province,

city or municipality petition the Commissions on

Elections will remove a local official.The COMELEC will then supervise a voting on

the recall petition in the area.


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