Election experts point to lessons from the US for ‘feudalistic’ Thai society

Election Commissioner Somchai Srisutthiyakorn said using technology could facilitate the election process and encourage the public to exercise a wider range of choices at the ballot box.
At the forum held by the Election Commission, Somchai said most electoral constituencies in the US used electronic machines to facilitate the casting and counting of votes, although constituencies often oversaw elections differently according to rules set by local authorities.
The technology was necessary because of the high level of public scrutiny of elected officials, who include high-level officials ranging from senators to senior judges, which voters choose simultaneously.
Voting ballots consequently usually involve many questions that take several minutes to complete, Somchai said, adding that technology enabled the vote tallies to be determined much faster.
Somchai introduced mobile applications to make August’s referendum easier for voters. He concluded that Thais might be able to have their voices heard in more decisions, whether in plebiscites or by selecting office holders, if more technology is adopted that allows voters to make multiple decisions in a single election.
Having observed the US election last month, he said many US polling companies had efficiently gathered information to conduct exit polls.
Exit polls were significant because they showed trends, providing a clearer picture and useful records for the public, he said. 
“That was because poll-makers were allowed to ask voters right in front of voting booths,” he said. “I think restrictions in front of the booths in Thailand should be lifted so that such useful activities could be encouraged.”
Viboonpong Poonprasit, a political science lecturer from Thammasat University, said laws related to elections should be made comprehensible to the public in general. 
“I admit that when I read the Thai complex version of the election system in the new charter draft, I get confused,” he said. “Thai elections come intermittently and they continue to lack strong grounding.”
He said regular, uninterrupted elections would help to foster a participation-oriented mindset in society. 
“Unlike the US system, which is result-oriented, the Thai society is more feudalistic and we also don’t have a clear separation of powers,” he said. “But helping to sustain efficient elections could help public participation to continue.”