The Summer Experience 2: Fingerprint

This morning, I went to Valenzuela City's local COMELEC office found in Karuhatan/Maysan have myself registered as a voter for next year's election.

Kinda excited really but the nervousness lingers since I'll bear the responsibility of the more than 40 million Filipino voters of choosing the rightful leaders of our nation (in whole honesty of course!).

The day started with the rain and drizzles that affected the city past midnight the night before which was for the whole day hot, humid and dry. I went to Karuhatan with my sister who was on her way to the Valenzuela City Government Center along McArthur Highway to pay some dues. The Comelec office on the otherhand is found in front of City Hall.

Good thing thatI went there at a time when voter registration period is at its earliest. There were no long lines present and the process of registration is fast.

First I had to give them a photocopy of my valid ID (in this case my CSB ID card) complete with my signature and present address. Unfortunately that valid ID had bears no address so I asked if I could photocopy my other ID which bears my current home address.

After giving them the xeroxed copies of my ID's I waited for a while outside the Comelec office sitting on a chair until my name was called for me to fill in three identical application forms wherein I put my personal information and stuff. I made a slight mistake with the info about my parents: I wrote my dad's name wrong LOL! :D

After submitting the filled in (not 'fill out') application forms, I was told to wait for a bit until I'm called to have my fingerprints printed and stuff :P. There was a digital camera attached to the PC one of the Comelec officers is using and was told to look at it. I didn't have the chance to smile except to remove my glasses but seeing the photo, I kinda looked serious.

But then again, I still didn't have the chance to smile.

I was told to write my signature on a digital writing pad using a pen attached to it. The signature then is uploaded as digital data sent to the software prgram the officer is using. Afterwards, he pointed me to a computer fingerprinting machine, a small machine that could capture digital images of my fingerprints uploaded into the computer. There's a double pattern to it:

1=Right Index finger-2=Left Index finger-3=Right Thumb-4=Left Thumb and REPEAT!

Then to make it final, I had to wet my two thumbs with ink to print out my thumbprints to my three application forms. Next thing I knew, I'm done!

They told me to wait until further notice on when I'm going to get my voter's ID.

Now that's straight AND fast!