SUFFRAGE & ELECTION Plebiscite – the vote of the people expressing their choice
for or against a proposed law or enactment submitted to
Suffrage
- the word suffrage comes from Latin suffragium,
meaning "vote", "political support", and the right to
vote.
- the right to vote in political elections
Article V Section 1 of the 1987 Constitution of the
Philippines
 Suffrage may be exercised by all citizens of the
Philippines, not otherwise disqualified by law, who
are at least 18 years of age and who shall have
resided in the Philippines for at least one year and
in the place wherein they propose to vote for at
least 6 months immediately preceding the election.
No literacy, property or other substantive
requirement shall be imposed on the exercise of
suffrage.
 On the other hand, suffrage is on of the political
rights enjoyed by the citizens of the country.
 This is because through the exercise of suffrage,
citizens can participate in the establishment and
administration of government.
 Thus, it includes election, plebiscite, referendum,
initiative and recall
Article V Section 2 of the 1987 Constitution of the
Philippines
 The Congress shall provide a system for securing
the secrecy and sanctity of the ballot as well as a
system for absentee voting by qualified Filipinos
abroad. The Congress shall also design a
procedure for the disabled and the illiterates to
vote without the assistance of other persons. Until
then, they shall be allowed to vote under existing
laws and such rules as the Commission on Elections
may promulgate to protect the secrecy of the
ballot.
THE SCOPES OF SUFFRAGE
Election – means by which people choose their officials for
definite and fixed periods and to whom they entrust, for the
time being as their representatives, the exercise of powers
of government.
them.
Referendum – the submission of a law by the national or
local legislative to the voting citizens of a country for their
ratification.
Initiative – the process whereby the people directly propose
and enact law.
Recall – method by which a public officer may be removed
from office during his tenure or before the expiration of his
term by a vote of the people after registration of a petition
signed by a required percentage of voters.
THE TYPES OF SUFFRAGE
Universal Suffrage – where it exists, the right to vote is not
restricted by sex, race, social status, education level or
wealth.
Woman Suffrage – it is the right of women to vote on the
same terms as men.
Equal Suffrage – it may be sometimes confused with
Universal Suffrage, although the meaning of the former is
the removal of graded votes, wherein a voter could possess
a number of votes in accordance with income, wealth of
social status
Census Suffrage – aka “censitary suffrage”, the opposite of
Equal Suffrage, meaning that the votes cast by those eligible
to vote are not equal but are weighed differently according
to the person’s rank in the census.
Compulsory Suffrage – those who are eligible to vote are
required by law to do so.
Business Vote – in local government in England and some
of its ex-colonies, businesses formerly had, and in some
places still have, a vote in the urban area in which they paid
rates. This is an extension of the historical property-based
franchise from natural persons to other legal persons.
THE NATURE OF SUFFRAGE
Mere Privilege – suffrage is not a natural right of the citizens
but a privilege to be given or withheld by the law making
power subject to constitutional limitations.
Political Right - enabling every citizen of the country to
participate in the process of government to assure that its
powers from the consent of the governed.
Plebiscite – in the Philippines, the term is applied to an
election at which any proposed amendment to, or revision
of the constitution is submitted to the people for their
ratification (Art. 17Sec. 2)
Referendum – submission of a law or part thereof passed by
the nation or local legislative body to the voting citizens of a
country for their ratification or rejection (Art. 6 Sec. 32)
Initiative – process whereby people directly propose the
enact laws. Congress is mandated by the Constitution to
provide as early as possible for a system of referendum.
Recall – tenure method by which a public office may be
removed during his tenure or before the expiration of his
term. (Art. 10 Sec. 3)
SUFFRAGE & ITS IMPORTANCE
 As a final note, the importance of suffrage cannot
be over emphasized as it is the bedrock of the
Philippine Democracy and republicanism.
 Removed, then the Philippines is no longer
democratic and republican.
Election
- it is the principal means by which the citizens of the
country vote and select certain officials to represent
them in the administration of the government. It
may be local or national.
- an election is a formal decision-making process by
which a population chooses an individual to hold
public office.
- elections have been the usual mechanism by which
modern representative democracy has operated
since the 17th century
THE HISTORY OF ELECTION
 Beginning during the Spanish Colonial Period there
were a few attempts nationally of electing local
officials. Once the Spanish colonial government was
replaced by the American colonial Insular
Government. Following the Spanish–American War,
and the First Philippine Republic defeated in the
Philippine–American War, there were multiple
elections held throughout peaceful areas of the
country for provincial and local officials.
 During the First Philippine Republic an attempt was
made to elect a national congress but the Republic
did not control the Philippines and so no
nationwide election could be held. The first fully
national election for a fully elected legislative body
was in 1907 for the Philippine Assembly, the
elected half of the bicameral Philippine Legislature
during the American Colonial Period.
TYPES OF ELECTIONS
General Election – are those held for the purpose of electing
national and local officials simultaneously.
National Elections – are those conducted to elect the
President, Vice President and members of Congress.
Local Elections – those held for purpose of selecting officials
in the region, provinces, cities and municipalities.
Special Elections – held on a date different from that of
regular elections.
VOTING
VOTERS
- Republic Act 8189 “Voters Registration Act of 1996”
- A citizen, in order to be qualified to exercise his
right to vote, in addition to the minimum
requirements set by fundamental charts is obliged
by law to register.
QUALIFICATION
- Every citizen 18 years old or above on Election Day.
- A resident of the Philippines for at least a year and
for at least 6 months on the place he is registering.
- Not otherwise disqualified by law, may vote.
- In order to actually vote, a citizen has to register.
- The COMELEC has a registration period for several
months prior to election.
ABSENTEE VOTERS
- Absentee voters are divided into two types: the
local absentee voters and the overseas absentee
voters.
- Local absentee voters include people who are
working during Election Day like soldiers,
policemen, government employees and the like.
- Overseas absentee voters refer to Filipinos residing
abroad. They are eligible to vote on national
positions only. Overseas absentee voters may vote
in Philippine embassies and consulates, and voting
begins as early as 4 months prior to the election.
- The voting can be as long as 6 months in very few
situations.
PROCESS
- Once a registered voter finds his/her name I the
voters’ list and locates the correct precinct he may
queue in line for the distribution of the ballot.
- Voters have to write the names of the candidates  Board of Election Inspectors – is constituted by a
next to the positions in which they are running. chairman and two members who are permanent
- COMELEC-approved nicknames maybe used by public school teachers.
the voters in writing the names. After the polling  Board of Canvassers – in every province, city and
period ends, the Board of Election Inspectors municipality, a board of canvassers are constituted
counts the ballots by hand. and is composed of provincial election supervisor
- The election returns will now be sent to the city or
municipal Board of Canvassers, political parties and PHILIPPINE ELECTORAL SYSTEM
other group  The Philippines is a functioning democracy, though
popular protests have forced out two presidents in
RULES GOVERNING ELECTIONS IN THE PHILIPPINES almost more than 20 years: first, Ferdinand Marcos
 The supervision of the elections in the Philippines is in 1986 for alleged electoral manipulation. And
under the charge of the Commission on Elections second, Joseph Estrada in 2001 for allegedly
or COMELEC. plundering the economy.
 In the process of supervising the conducts of  The country’s politics have continued to be
elections, the COMELEC is guided by the rules characterized by volatility.
governing elections as stated in the provisions of  The Philippines is still grappling with Muslim
Republic Act No. 7166 separatists, predominantly those of the island of
 Elections on Campaign Period – campaign period Mindanao.
for the President, Vice President and Senators is 90  In addition, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, won a
days before the day of election and 45 days before contentious election in 2004 and is now facing an
the day of election for members of the House of electoral scandal, after a one call between her and
Representatives. an election official, taped before the election had
 Nomination and Selection of Official Candidates – concluded, turned up. Arroyo has denied she made
even the period for political conventions for the any attempt to influence the vote.
purpose of forming political parties and nominating
official is fixed by legislation
 Filing of Certificate of Candidacy – the certificate of
an individual running for national elections is
required to be filed a the main office of the
COMELEC not later than the day prior to the
beginning to the campaign period.
 Precincts and Polling Places – every barangay is
required to have at least one election precinct, with
each precinct having not more than 300 votes.
 Registration of Voters – it is held on the 15th
Saturday prior to the day of election for those who
are to reach 18 years or before the day of election
and for those qualifies to cast their vote but not
included in the list of voters.
 Common Poster Area – the COMELEC is
empowered to designate common poster areas in
the barangay where candidates can post their
election propaganda announcing their candidacy
 Official Watchers – every political party and
candidate is entitled to one watcher in every polling
place and canvassing centre.