Pattaya election results on hold after ballot paper confusion
The results of mayoral and council elections in Pattaya on Sunday are on hold after ballot papers went missing from two polling stations.
Meanwhile, two other polling stations had a surplus of ballot papers, suggesting a mix-up over distribution of voting papers to the four polling stations involved.
“This means the city is unable to announce the total tally of votes in the Pattaya mayor and city council elections on Sunday,” said Pattaya permanent-secretary Pramote Thapthim on Sunday night.
Pramote explained that polling stations No 2 in constituency 1 and No 20 in constituency 4 each reported one missing set of ballot papers for the mayoral election. Meanwhile, polling stations No 29 in constituency 2 and No 5 in constituency 3 were each issued one extra set of ballot papers for the council election.
“We have reported the issue to the Election Commission, which will give a ruling and announce re-elections at the problematic polling stations,” Pramote said. “The city therefore will not announce the official final tally of Sunday elections yet.”
The unofficial tally showed Poramet Ngampichet from the “We Love Pattaya” group won the Pattaya mayorship with 14,161 votes, followed by Pattaya Ruamjai's Sinchai Wattanasatsathorn (12,336 votes) and the Progressive Movement's Kittisak Ninwattanatochai (8,713 votes).