Photo from Erik de Castro
As of November 6, 2018 the US midterm elections has begun.
In comparison with the state elections, the midterm elections involve people voting for senate members and members of the house of representatives. This year’s US midterm elections has been a record as the voter registration increased as the voter turnout in the midterms is usually lower than of the state and local elections.
Celebrities and known personalities in America have shared their sentiments on how important each vote is. Personalities such as Taylor Swift, Kim Kardashian, Beyonce and many more, encouraged many American citizens to vote. Earlier in October, Taylor Swift shared a political statement which caused spike in voter registration 24 hours after the statement was released.
Similar to the US midterm elections, the Philippine senatorial elections will be held on May 2019 wherein Filipinos will be voting for members of the senate, the legislative body of the government. Last October, senatorial bets have filed their certificates of candidacy with the intention to run for senate. 152 candidates have filed their applications for the 12 available Senate seats.
While it is important to know and study each candidates’ qualifications before the actual election process, it is also important to know their true intentions for the nation. Moreover, it is also important to simply answer the questions “Why do we vote?” and “Who do we vote for?”
As the Philippines practices democracy in choosing government officials, it is up to the people who gets to sit on the government. The fate of the nation does not depend on these candidates who are running for a position in the government. We, the people of this nation, is also responsible for putting these officials in power.
This upcoming elections, it is also important to remember who do we vote for. While we vote for our preferred candidates, we also vote for ourselves and the people around us. We vote for our mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, and countrymen which we believe will be well represented by the candidates we vote for.
Cliché may it be, but one vote can make a big change. We choose people who chooses the people, and not their personal interests.