Are you tired of this pandemic? Are you tired of government officials prioritizing things other than the pandemic? Are you tired of the lack of accountability and transparency in public office? This infomercial is brought to you by an equally tired member of the youth sector.

This past year has exposed the systemic flaws we’ve thought of as things we can’t change or control. Now that the 2022 election is coming up, we have a chance to bring about that change ourselves. Except not enough voters are coming out to register.

Even Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioner Rowena Guanzon is concerned over the low number of registered voters, and has urged people to “bring their ballpen and go to Comelec.”

we are behind our target of 4M new registrants. Wear face masks and shield, bring your own ballpen and go to @COMELEC We have alcohol .

— Rowena Guanzon (@rowena_guanzon) January 21, 2021

Of course, you need more than a pen to register to vote. Those 18 years old and above (or will be 18 before May 9, 2022) are eligible to vote. You will also need the following:

A form of identification, like a valid ID (students, your school ID is acceptable)
Application form
Coronavirus self-declaration form, as required by Resolution No. 10674
Supplementary data form for persons with disabilities, senior citizens and Indigenous people
Your mask, face shield and personal sanitizer or alcohol

You need to personally go to your nearest Comelec office to have your biometrics taken. It’s scary to go outside, but you can cut down the time you spend outside by filling out your application in advance. You can opt to print and fill it out yourself either by pen or digitally, but don’t put your thumb mark yet as you will need to do that in the presence of an election officer.

You can also register via the iRehistro website and set an appointment, which supposedly grants you priority over walk-in applicants, according to the website.

Comelec is expecting at least four million new registered voters, and we’ve got to achieve that by Sept. 30, 2021, the last day of voters’ registration. As of Jan. 14, there are only 1,117,528 voter applicants.

‘BRING YOUR BALLPEN AND GO TO COMELEC’

LOOK: Elections Commissioner Rowena Guanzon urges the public to register to vote as Comelec falls short of its 4 million target registrants.

As of January 14, there are only 1,117,528 voter applicants. pic.twitter.com/81BATYRyRZ

— Inquirer (@inquirerdotnet) January 23, 2021

When going out, make sure to adhere to safety protocols. If there are markers on the floor at the Comelec office, follow them. Sanitize before and after using any tools there, and only take off your mask when your picture is about to be taken.

So register to vote if you’re eligible, keep yourself informed and engage in issues that matter (because TBH, you can also make a difference before 2022).

Photo by Glen Carrie on Unsplash