Social Security Bans Written Candidate Notes in Voting Booths
Social Security Office banned voters from bringing written notes into booths for the upcoming board election, urging them to memorize candidate numbers instead to avoid verification delays.
The Social Security Office has clarified rules for the board election, prohibiting voters from bringing written candidate numbers into voting booths and recommending they memorize the seven candidate numbers instead. On September 23, 2026, Kanjana Poolkaew, Secretary-General of the Social Security Office, addressed confusion over bringing papers or materials into voting areas at Fortune Town shopping centre.
According to Article 44 of the Labour Ministry Regulation on Social Security Committee Elections (2021), voters are barred from bringing documents or materials related to candidate campaigning into polling stations. They cannot bring unauthorized ballots, remove ballots, photograph completed ballots, show ballots to others, damage ballots, or use communication devices while voting.
Poolkaew advised voters to memorize candidate numbers and avoid using paper or any material resembling communication aids, as verification of such items could delay result announcement. She noted that determining whether paper brought into the booth is a voter's own note or campaign material would be difficult and time-consuming. When asked whether voters could write numbers on their wrists or hands instead, Poolkaew said this was a personal choice and technique, but emphasized the key point is avoiding paper. She clarified that the regulation explicitly prohibits bringing any documents or materials related to campaigning into voting areas, and avoiding paper entry would be the safest approach.
