Electronic Research Journal of Behavioural Sciences, Volume 2 (2019) www.erjbehaviouralsciences.com 14 Voters Practices in the Philippine Election Glenn L. Velmonte, Ph.D. Chairperson, Department of Public Governance, Cebu Normal University, Cebu City, Philippines Email: andreiv1022@yahoo.com Ph: +639665820420 Abstract: Electing public officers is the most exciting event in the Philippines. It is when friends turn to enemies and relatives into insignificant all in the name of the candidate they supported. The research unveils the rationale behind this exciting event. This research resolves the common practices before the election. What are the problems and challenges encountered? How do voters behave before the election? And what Policy Recommendation on Electoral Reforms can be proposed based on the findings of the study? This study made use of purposive sampling. An interview was conducted in one of the poorest provinces in the Philippines which is Southern Leyte and Fifty (50) selected respondents from the five municipalities of Cebu Province must be of legal age (18) and above, and a registered voter. The researchers identified the following respondents based on characteristics that they deem to be the basic qualification significant to make this study possible. The result of the research strongly recommended that the Commission on Election should provide an avenue so that the voters will know well the candidates they are about to choose. Debate is advisable prior to the election proper. In this way, the voters will be educated on the capabilities of the future officials. The government should do its best to stop vote-buying. Keywords: election, electoral reforms, voters, vote buying, electorate, behavior Introduction: Electing public officers is the most exciting event in the Philippines. It is when friends turn to enemies and relatives into insignificant at all. Voters are diehard to the candidates they supported. As to the reasons why it is so, this research would answer along the way those queries. In addition, this research unveils the rationale behind this exciting event. The election is every 3 years except for the position of president, barangay, and sagguniang kabataan (SK). Only those who are 18 and older can elect. Elections are held not just for national leadership but also for the representation at the provincial and local levels. Accordingly, Philippine elections are often marred by violence, fraud, and irregularities. Polling stations ran out of ballots; ballot boxes missing; names of legitimate voters are not on the voting list; dead people remain on the list that has not been updated; stations ran out of ink that keeps voters from voting twice. All these allegations will be verified in this research. In addition, there have also been allegations that computers have been manipulated to change results. Vote buying and dirty tricks are run-of-the-mill. In extreme situations, political groups resorted to switching ballot boxes. According to Harden (2010), in his Washington post: “Elections in the Philippines are personality-driven, a kind of national soap opera in which distinctions between infamy and celebrity tend to blur over time.” Elections in the Philippines are perceived as the arena