Plebiscite on Woman Suffrage, 1937

Section 2 grants the right to vote in the plebiscite to every female citizen of the Philippines who is 21 years of age or over.
Section 2 requires that the voter has been a resident of the Philippines for one year and of the municipality wherein she proposes to vote for at least six months next preceding the plebiscite.
Section 2 requires that she possesses the qualifications required by existing law for male voters, but without the disqualifications specified for male voters.
Section 2 authorizes voting either in favor or against woman suffrage through satisfaction of the stated age, residency, and qualification rules.

Section 3 applies the provisions of the Election Law on holding a special election to the plebiscite insofar as they are not in conflict with Commonwealth Act No. 34.
Section 3 requires appointment of four watchers per polling place in every municipality by the women’s club organized therein; if none exists, watchers must be appointed by the National Federation of Women’s Club.
Section 3 requires the same number of watchers to be allowed to groups or organizations opposed to woman suffrage.

Section 4 directs that in specially organized provinces, whenever necessary, provincial boards (under the supervision of the Secretary of the Interior) shall provide for the formation or election of precincts in every municipality or municipal district.
Section 4 requires provincial boards to designate the proper polling places.
Section 4 requires provincial boards to appoint election inspectors and poll clerks, including their respective substitutes.
Section 5 provides that election precincts shall remain as established and polling places shall remain the same unless the concerned municipal council or board designates a different place on or before April 1, 1937.

Section 6 requires the existing boards of election inspectors to meet for registration of voters for this Act on April 10 and April 17, 1937, between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Section 6 provides that if at 7:00 o’clock in the evening on either registration day there remain women who desire to be registered, inspectors shall make a list of those present within a radius of 30 meters from the polling place.
Section 6 requires inspectors to hand those women a consecutively numbered card, and it mandates that registration be permitted after 7:00 p.m. upon presentation of the card.
Section 6 requires that, before registering any female voter, the inspectors require the registrant to fill out and sign—under oath before the board—an identification card showing: (1) name in full, (2) age on her last birthday, (3) civil status, (4) citizenship, (5) length of residence in the Philippines, (6) length of residence in the municipality, and (7) whether she can read and write any native language, Spanish or English.
Section 6 requires that printed forms for the identification card be furnished to each registrant.
Section 6 provides compensation: each election inspector and poll clerk receives PHP 2 pesos for each day of actual service rendered as required by the Act.
Section 6 allows women possessing the qualifications of a male voter to be appointed poll clerks for the plebiscite.

Section 7 makes all judicial proceedings for the inclusion or exclusion of voters free of charge.
Section 7 requires that such proceedings be filed not later than April 23, 1937.
Section 7 requires that such proceedings be finally decided on or before April 26, 1937.
Section 7 requires that the board of election inspectors hold its last meeting on April 28, 1937 for the purpose specified in Section 439 of the Election Law.

Section 8 requires ballots to be printed in English and Spanish.
Section 8 mandates the ballot conforms to the specified official ballot form addressing “THE QUESTION OF WOMAN SUFFRAGE” and instructing women to vote Yes or No by answering “Yes” for woman suffrage and “No” against it.
Section 8 includes the constitutional question text in both English and Spanish on the ballot.
Section 8 presents the voting instruction as: “Are you in favor of granting suffrage to women?” and the Spanish equivalent “Esta Vd. en favor de la concesion del sufragio a las mujeres?”.

Section 9 requires each polling-place board of inspectors to prepare only three copies of the plebiscite returns on a form prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior.
Section 9 requires one copy to be deposited in the ballot box for valid ballots.
Section 9 requires the two remaining copies to be delivered to the proper municipal treasurer/treasurer, who must immediately forward them by registered mail: (1) one copy to the Secretary of the National Assembly and (2) one copy to the Secretary of the Interior.
Section 9 directs that the Bureau of Posts must accept and transmit without delay and free of charge all plebiscite returns and any official report or telegram connected therewith.
Section 10 requires that a count of votes cast be made by the National Assembly based on the returns.

Section 10 provides that if the result shows not less than 300,000 women voted affirmatively, all women who possess the qualifications specified in Section 2 become entitled to vote in any election held thereafter.
Section 10 provides that in such case, the plebiscite registration list may be used in subsequent elections until revised according to law.

Section 11 appropriates PHP 150,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary, out of any funds in the National Treasury, not otherwise appropriated, for plebiscite expenses.
Section 11 requires that the payment of those expenses be subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Interior.
Section 12 provides that the Act takes effect upon its approval.
Commonwealth Act No. 34 was approved September 30, 1936.