Good government never depends upon laws, but upon the personal qualities of those who govern. The machinery of government is always subordinate to the will of those who administer that machinery. The most important element of government, therefore, is the method of choosing leaders.

— Law and Governance, The Spacing Guild Manual

Forewared is forearmed, as the saying goes; with the 2010 Philippine General Elections less than a year away, I believe it is important that we need to have as much access to as much information as we can, so as to make the best decision we can. It will not be easy, nor simple — too much knowledge never makes for simple decisions — but it goes a long way in making the right one.

Of course, by saying that, I beg the question: “what is the right decision?” The answer, as flippant as it may seem, is: it depends on what you want this country to be. Are you concerned about health care? Poverty alleviation? Transparency in governance? International relations? Taxes? Ultimately, a vote for a candidate that embodies your concerns is a vote for you. The right decision is the one that addresses your (hopefully, unselfish) concerns. If you care about your fellow man, then the right decision is one that benefits your fellow man. If you don’t… you’re in the wrong place.

If you’re a new voter:

The Comelec has posted the registration schedule on their website. It’s a bit slow to load, so here’s the important part: you can register at your local Comelec office during office hours, from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, (Mondays to Saturdays including holidays) beginning December 2, 2008 (Tuesday) to October 31, 2009 (Saturday), for all cities and municipalities except those in the ARMM.

If you’re an old voter:

Make sure you haven’t been deactivated; this happens, among other reasons, when you haven’t voted in the immediately preceding two (2) successive regular elections as shown in the voting records. The preceding two (2) successive elections, for purposes of May 10, 2010 elections, refer to the May 14, 2007 National and Local Elections and October 29, 2007 Barangay Elections.

If you have been deactivated, you may apply for reactivation of his registration record by personally accomplishing separately in three (3) copies the prescribed application form available at the Comelec website (download it here).

You can read all about it here.