These days, more and more people are becoming involved in helping build a nation in the best way they know how. The upcoming May 2022 national and local elections present the perfect opportunity to participate in such patriotic endeavors.
There are many ways that you can take part and help. Most of us have registered to vote, but we can also participate in rallies, educate others, report fake news, and sign up as volunteers to help maintain honest and peaceful elections.
Why volunteer?
Volunteering is one of the best ways for you to help while growing as an individual. It’s a win-win situation where you can live out your passion with a purpose. Some of the most significant benefits that you can enjoy from volunteering are the following:
- Gain confidence. Volunteering can help you gain confidence by giving you the chance to try something new and build a real sense of achievement.
- Make a difference. Stepping out into your communities can have a real and valuable positive effect on people, communities, and society in general.
- Learn new skills. Since you’ll find yourself in varying situations, volunteering can help you learn new skills, gain experience, and sometimes even qualifications for future pursuits.
What should you CHAMPion as a volunteer?
The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) encourages us to be volunteer CHAMP (Clean, Honest, Accurate, Meaningful, and Peaceful). In promoting these values for clean, honest, accurate, meaningful, and peaceful elections, we must remind ourselves that these values resonate with everyone regardless of one’s political choices and beliefs. If you appreciate having honest people around you, wouldn’t you want honest elections, too? The same goes for maintaining peace, for example. We’re sure everyone would prefer to live in a peaceful society, so why shouldn’t our elections reflect our aspirations?
It’s never too late (or too early!) to participate
There is a misconception that volunteering is only for adults, registered voters, or people with specific skills. The good news is that signing up to be a volunteer is open to everyone from all walks of life, at least 18 years old. Even if you were unable to register as a voter, you are still more than welcome to help ensure that our ballots are secure.
How can you start volunteering?
The PPCRV is a national, political, but non-partisan lay movement. This means that PPCRV volunteers are not allowed to campaign for anyone come elections day. The main objective of the PPCRV is to guard the people’s votes and ensure that the elections run smoothly.
The volunteer group reported that they already have 300,000 volunteers for the May 2022 elections. This may seem a lot already, but apparently, they need at least 500,000 individuals to guard our polls.
According to PPCRV Chairperson Myla Villanueva, individuals who want to apply as PPCRV volunteers must coordinate with their local parishes. However, you don’t need to worry about your credentials because you will most likely find a role that best fits your expertise. “There are coordinators who can help you find [a] role that is very meaningful,” she said.
You can sign up as a volunteer by clicking on this link, and PPCRV will get back to you for upcoming volunteer opportunities in your diocese. You may also visit your parish and coordinate with them directly regarding volunteer work for the PPCRV. Expect to do a wide range of tasks as a volunteer, such as:
- joining grassroots campaigns for voter education
- helping in the verification, certification, and sealing of the voters’ lists on the day of the elections
- distributing ballots to the voters in voting precincts
- opening envelopes containing election results and preparing them for encoding
- Ensuring the integrity of the vote by providing a parallel count that can confirm the results and detect anomalies, if any, in the official count
With the many ways you can participate in the elections, it’s impossible to say that you are incapable of helping. So what are you waiting for? Sign up as a CHAMP volunteer to #LiveSmartVoteSmart in partnership with the PPCRV!
