EC stands by ballot safeguards

Officials stress vote privacy upheld

- CHAIRITH YONPIAM

The Election Commission (EC) has reaffirmed the confidentiality of ballots, with provincial election officials adamant that voting secrecy remains fully protected under legal safeguards and administrative procedures, amid growing public debate over the use of QR codes and barcodes on ballot papers.

Kongyos Boonrak, director of the EC office in Kamphaeng Phet, defended the integrity of the system, declaring in a Facebook post that he would resign if anyone could prove they could identify how an individual voted.

"I challenge anyone to break the secrecy of Kamphaeng Phet ballots and show which ballot belongs to whom and who they voted for. If that happens, I will resign," he wrote.

Mr Kongyos explained that while some critics argue that ballots must be completely untraceable, the law provides specific provisions to ensure voting secrecy even in special circumstances.