There are less than 200 days before the presidential elections in May 2010 but there are only five days left before the duration of the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec)  voter’s registration ends. One could just imagine the number of people swarming the Comelec offices all over the country today to process their registrations.

The first time I brought myself to the Comelec office for my voter’s registration was in 2006 in my hometown Pastrana, Leyte. The Comelec office in that town was a small room inside the municipal hall, with just one or two employees. That number sufficed since that town had only about 8,000 voters and the registration was done by barangay.

Having changed my residence last year, I have to reregister, this time as a transfer voter. There’s not much difference in the way I registered in my hometown from my latest registration in the city of Sta. Rosa in Laguna a week ago.

The process was still the same; you fill out a registration form (one that suits your status; whether as a new voter or a transferee), line up for your picture and fingerprints to be taken (biometrics), and wait for your registration stub (proof that you are officially registered).

And just like in my hometown, I had to register in an area with quite a limited space and follow a schedule. Only, this city follows a Monday-and-Friday-only schedule. Only two days of the week are devoted for the registration of more than a hundred thousand would-be voters.

With less than two weeks before the deadline of the registration, I was just one of the hundreds in that particular location who was trying to finish my registration that day. I did finish processing my transfer that day, but not without a few glitches.

So for the would-be voters and registrants, expect that your trip to the Comelec at this point will be a hassle, especially with just a few days before the deadline. But you can still go there with a few helpful tips in mind.

1. First, find out if the Comelec in your area follows a schedule. It would be a good thing if, unlike in my area, they process registrations every day.
2. Be at the Comelec office at the earliest possible time. If you can be there even before the office opens, better. During my registration, I came later than most people so I had to queue behind more than sixty registrants (I’m quite sure of the number because of the priority numbers that were given).
3. Devote one day for your registration. This will ensure that you are prepared to battle the long queues and grumpy clerks while processing your registration.
4. Don’t argue with the clerks. It would only lengthen your transaction with them. If the clerk tells you to fill out a green paper (for transferees) and not the yellow one (for reactivation), don’t try to contradict them. Most likely, these clerks know more about the whole process than you do.

The Comelec has ordered the extension of the registration hours to 9:00 p.m. in their field offices nationwide until October 30, 2009. On October 31, the last day of registration, Comelec offices will be open until midnight.

Everyone has to go through the whole registration process before s/he can go out and vote. But contrary to the popular idea, the registration process is not hard; it just needs a lot of patience.  So, be sure to come to the Comelec office prepared with lots of patience.