LINK LOVE: Election Day 101

If you picked up Cosmo's March 2010 issue, you've probably read our breakdown of each candidate's platform and stance on issues that you care about. You've probably also checked out our exclusive interviews with presidential candidates JC delos Reyes, Richard Gordon, Jamby Madrigal, Nicanor Perlas, and Bro. Eddie Villanueva.

May 10 is just days away, and we're all going to make an important decision that will affect the Philippines for the next six years: we're going to pick our leader. With the new electronic voting system making its debut this year, Cosmo's here to give you the lowdown on everything election.

• If you haven't made your decision yet and you need a little help, check out FHM's Election Cheat Sheet (Part 1 and Part 2), where they give you a brief rundown of each presidentiable's platform, achievements, and qualifications, and even delve into what they've got going for and against them.
  
  
• If you want to see the candidates' full platforms, Manuel L. Quezon III put together a comprehensive list of links to all the presidentiables' platforms (and other comparative data) and their official websites on his Tumblr.
  
  
• If your inner tsismosa wants to know who your favorite celebrities are voting for, Spot has compiled some celebrity Tweets to indulge your curiosity. Of course, Kris Aquino is voting for her brother!
  

Our sibling sites Female Network, FHM, and Spot have the following tips to share about what you're going to have to do on Election Day:

• Know where your precinct is. COMELEC has an online precinct finder that will tell you where to go. (This will only work for those who registered before November 2009, though!) This is also a good way to check if you're registered.
  
  
• Bring your Voter's ID to your precinct when you vote. If you don't have one yet, bring that slip of paper they gave you when you registered and a valid government-issued ID that has your photo on it (like your driver's license or your passport).
  
  
• The voting period is from 7AM to 6PM.
  
  
• When you get to your precinct, the first thing you should do is find your name on the Election Day Computerized Voters List and then present your ID to the Board of Election Inspectors, who will then give you your ballot.
  
  
• Familiarize yourself with the ballot. Make sure not to fold it or stain it in any way. If you get pasmado, bring tissues or a handkerchief to keep sweat stains off your ballot, because the machine is extra sensitive to all kinds of marks, and you won't get a second ballot. Be extra careful to fill in the circles properly, and don't vote for more candidates than you ought to, or else the PCOS machine won't count your votes!
  
  
• Your ballot will have the national picks (like president, vice president, and senator) on the front and your local picks (mayor, vice mayor, etc.) on the back, so make sure to check both sides.
  
  
• Vote for one (1) president, one (1) vice president, up to 12 senators, one (1) mayor, one (1) vice mayor, one (1) congressman, up to six (6) councilors, one (1) party list representative, and (if this applies to you) one (1) governor and one (1) vice governor.
  
  
• It's best to know who you're voting for so that you don't take up too much time at the precinct. Have a cheat sheet ready with your presidential candidate, your vice presidential candidate, and your senate candidates listed. It's also best to list their respective numbers on your cheat sheet to make things easier for you, since there are 61 candidates running for senator!
  

Exercise your right to vote on Monday! Your vote does matter. The future of the Philippines is in our hands.

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