Somchai Demands Electoral Commission Release 20 Documents on Ballot Barcode Issue, Threatens Countersuit for Defamation
Former EC member Somchai demands the Electoral Commission release 20 documents on 2025 ballot barcodes that he claims can be traced to individual voters, threatening a defamation countersuit while warning the codes compromise ballot secrecy
On May 12, 2025, at the Electoral Commission (EC) headquarters, former EC member Somchai Srisuthiyakorn and data science expert Dr. Thammatee Sukchotirat (known as Dr. Rian Bin), CEO of JIB Digital Consult Group, submitted a formal request for 20 documents concerning the printing of 2025 election ballots featuring barcodes and QR codes that could potentially be traced back to individual voters.
The requested documents include: EC resolutions approving the use of barcodes and QR codes on 2025 ballots; EC regulations, announcements, orders, or documents specifying the intent or purpose of these codes; procurement documents for ballot printing; technical explanations of how the codes prevent counterfeiting; and policies for protecting voters' personal data.
Somchai noted that while barcodes and QR codes were used in the 2023 elections, they could not be traced to individual ballots. However, in the 2025 election, this is the first time the codes can be traced to specific ballot numbers, effectively compromising ballot secrecy by revealing who voted for whom.
Somchai emphasized that the critical question is understanding the basis for the Electoral Commission's decision to include these codes. He expressed concern that if the codes are not mentioned in EC resolutions or procurement documents, it raises questions about what authority the Commission used to implement them. He indicated the team would release these documents gradually through social media and make them available to petitioners seeking to submit them to the Constitutional Court.
Somchai also stated that the evidence presented to the Constitutional Court by both petitioners and respondents is insufficient, as there are many more related documents. The documents requested represent only about 20 percent of what has been submitted to the Court.
Thammatee added that the submission invokes public rights under the Official Information Act to verify how voting rights data is being used and whether it is secure, particularly regarding concerns that barcodes and QR codes may be linked to voters' identities.
