MANILA - Voters in 44 provinces will have to double check with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) if they are still voting during the May elections in the same precinct where they voted in the 2010 polls.

Based on Resolutions 9624 and 9562, the Comelec reclustered precints in Abra, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Aklan, Antique, Apayao, Basilan, Benguet, Bohol, Bukidnon, Cagayan, Camarines Sur, Capiz, Catanduanes, Cebu, Davao del Sur, Eastern Samar, Ifugao, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Iloilo, Isabela, Laguna, Lanao del Sur, Leyte, Maguindanao, Marinduque, Misamis Occidental,  Misamis Oriental, Northern Samar, Occidental Mindoro, Palawan, Quezon, Quirino, Rizal, Romblon, Western Samar, Siquijor, Southern Leyte, Sultan Kudarat, Sulu, Tawi-tawi, Zamboanga del Norte, and Zamboanga del Sur.

This is because of the Comelec's rule to form clustered precincts out of established precincts that only have few voters.

One clustered precinct will have its own PCOS machine on election day.

In the case of Datu Unsay in Maguindanao, 20 established precincts in 7 barangays were found to have minimal voters after they were double checked against the Comelec's automated fingerprint identification system.

Generally, those in the reclustering are precincts with fewer than 100 registered voters.

Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes said the reclustering began in January and considered the increase of registerd voters nationwide from 50 to 52 million.

Voters can double-check their precinct assignments on the Comelec website's precinct finder function as well as the ABS-CBN-powered Comelec app for iOS.

The Comelec will also undertake a voters' education campaign on the reclustering.

Meantime, Brillantes said they are still waiting for field reports on whether they can use schools that were affected by typhoons on Mindanao as polling centers in the elections.