THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) will hold mock elections this month to ensure that the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines would function properly on the second nationwide automated polls in May.

Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento said that the commission en banc has yet to finalize details of the mock polls such as the date, venues and number of voters to be involved.

“There are areas that were suggested in Luzon,Visayas, Mindanao and Metro Manila but they are not yet final,” said Sarmiento, while naming Maguindanao, Naga City and Camarines Sur as among the possible host areas.

He explained that they want to find out the possible flaws that need to be addressed.

He said that one possible result of the mock elections is the identification of areas with weak telecommunication signals. Telecommunication signals are crucial in transmitting the poll results from precincts to the canvassing centers.

The conduct of mock polls is mandatory under Republic Act 9369 or the Poll Automation Law.

The law states that there is a need for a “successful conduct of a field testing process followed by a mock election event in one or more cities/municipalities.”

In the 2010 polls, chosen as sites for the mock polls were New Era Elementary School in Barangay New Era, Quezon City; Maharlika Elementary School in Maharlika Village, Taguig City; Gen. Ricardo Papa Memorial High School in Barangay Tuktukan, Taguig City; Pines City National High School in City Camp Central; Community Youth Center in City Camp Proper both in Baguio City, Bulacao Community School in Barangay Bulacao; Mabini Elementary School in Barangay Mabini both in Cebu City; Alejandra Navarro Elementary School in Lasang Village; and Generoso Elementary School in Barangay Bago Aplaya both in Davao City.