MANILA — The National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) disclosed Thursday that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has spent more than P10 billion of its P16.5-billion budget for the upcoming elections.

With this, the former citizens’ arm of the poll body urged the commission to be transparent and fully disclose the funds it used to finance automated polls. Read rest of story

CAGAYAN DE ORO — Not even the specter of a total blackout will stop the automated elections in Northern Mindanao, the head of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in the region said Tuesday.

This came as the Comelec plans to meet power companies in the Mindanao region this weekend to discuss possible plans for the coming May 10 elections. Read rest of story

MANILA — The poll body will conduct on Saturday, February 6, mock elections in nine areas in the country to prepare for the automated polls on May 10.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal said Wednesday unlike the field tests, the mock elections will focus on the whole process of the Election Day. Read rest of story

This early, voters can verify their registration online using Comelec’s precinct finder.

The Commission on Election (Comelec) says, though, that some names, especially those who only registered starting April 1, 2009, might not yet appear in searches.

Since some cities and towns have not submitted an updated list of voters, residents of these places who applied for registration, transfer, correction of entries/change of name, or reactivation beginning December 2, 2008 will also not find their names in Comelec’s search facility. They may call their Comelec office to ask about the status of their registration.