Central Administrative Court Dismisses Thammasat University Professor's Lawsuit Against Election Commission Over Referendum Registration Website Issues

The Central Administrative Court dismissed a lawsuit filed by Dr. Usanee Pathavee Sirikij Lertratananon, a professor at Thammasat University's Pridi Banomyong International College, against the Election Commission (ECT). The case involved over 800,000 citizens who could not register for out-of-area referendum voting within the narrow 3-day period (January 3-5) due to website system crashes. The technical issues prevented eligible voters from participating in the constitutional referendum and potentially cost them political rights for two years under Article 24 of the Referendum Act. The court ruled that the ECT followed regulations and provided three registration channels. Following the advance voting on February 1, many citizens still need to return to voting booths on February 8 for the constitutional amendment referendum. The referendum does not offer advance voting, only out-of-area registration.