Democrat Party Demands Election Commission Clarify Ballot Tampering Prevention System for Bangkok and Pattaya Elections
The Democrat Party is demanding the Election Commission clarify its ballot security system for Bangkok's June 28 local elections, citing concerns that previous anti-fraud measures may have compromised voter secrecy in past polls.
On May 18, Democrat Party deputy spokesperson Nattakarn Chuchanah called on the Election Commission to clarify its anti-fraud system for Bangkok and Pattaya ballots, citing concerns about repeating issues from the February 2019 parliamentary elections. Election Commission Secretary General Sawang Boonmee announced that ballot papers for Bangkok and Pattaya would include anti-fraud measures, but in a different format from the previous parliamentary elections which used barcodes and QR codes—a matter currently under Constitutional Court review.
The party is demanding clear details about the local election ballot security measures, particularly for Bangkok's June 28 elections, to assure the public of fair and honest voting in accordance with secret ballot principles. Nattakarn cited Section 10 of the Local Government Election Act B.E. 2562, which explicitly mandates that elections must use direct and secret voting methods—a fundamental principle of democratic elections.
The Democrats are asking the Election Commission to publicly explain what the anti-fraud measures entail and whether adequate safeguards exist to prevent anyone from linking ballots to specific voters, warning that without proper clarification, legal disputes similar to those from the previous parliamentary elections could resurface.
