Take a number

Voters in the Philippines obtained priority numbers to vote. Each voting site had 10 secrecy folder per automated voting machines (PCOS). Ten voters at a time would be let into the voting room to fill in their ballots. The priority numbers were given usually in batches of 15 to be called to vote. The elderly (and in some cases) the companions of the elderly would have first priority to vote, no matter what time they showed up. The lines became very long, confused and heated. Many people arriving at 7 a.m. to vote, would finally vote around 5 p.m. There was 1 PCOS machine per 1000 voters, and it would take anywhere from 2 minutes to 25 minutes to vote.

Photo by Nancy Eng MacNeill of the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program who served with the People's International Observers Mission.