The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday urged candidates and political parties to disclose the amounts they spend on surveys conducted during the election period, including their survey subscriptions.

In a resolution issued on Thursday, the Comelec said candidates must report the total amounts spent on such surveys, if applicable.

“The commission may use this data to verify the candidate’s reported expenses in the Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SoCE),” the poll body said.

Meanwhile, candidates or organizations publishing a survey must disclose the following information: the name of the person, candidate, party, or organization that commissioned or paid for the survey; the name of the person, polling firm, or survey organization that conducted the survey; the period when the survey was conducted, the methodology used (including number of respondents and their locations), and the specific questions asked; the margin of error of the survey; and the mailing address and telephone number of the sponsor.

“The survey, along with the raw data gathered to support its conclusions, shall be available for inspection, copying, and verification by the Comelec, a registered political party, a bona fide candidate, or any Comelec-accredited citizen’s arm,” the poll body said.

Citing the Fair Election Act, the Comelec said the names of individuals or entities subscribing to survey firms must be disclosed.

Further, any person, whether a candidate or an organization, that conducts and publicly disseminates an election survey must register with the Comelec’s Political Finance and Affairs Department, it said.

Only pre-registered entities will be authorized to conduct and publicly disseminate election surveys.

As defined in the Comelec resolution, election surveys refer to the measurement of voters’ opinions and perceptions regarding a candidate’s popularity, qualifications, platforms, or matters of public discussion related to the election.