Pheu Thai raises alarm over ballot barcodes potentially compromising voting secrecy
Pheu Thai Party raises concerns that ballot barcodes may allow traceability back to voters, violating the secret ballot principle under the constitution.
Chousak Sirinil, Deputy Leader of the Pheu Thai Party, revealed on Friday (February 13) that the party has received information about the discovery of barcodes on election ballots, which could potentially be used to trace votes back to individual voters.
He explained that the party’s legal team is currently gathering facts and evidence on the matter in detail.
Chousak further explained that in previous elections, ballots were only marked with a "secret code" to identify which polling station or district the ballot was sent to. There was no way to identify who cast the vote.
However, the presence of barcodes on this election’s ballots could potentially link back to the original ballot stub, which voters are required to sign for receipt of their ballots. This could make it possible to trace which individual voted for a particular candidate or party.
"If this is indeed the case, it would violate the fundamental principle of secret voting, which is guaranteed by the constitution," Chousak said.
He also pointed out that in previous instances where the court had declared an election invalid, the main issues involved were:
- Voting secrecy being violated.
- The organisation of elections not being uniform nationwide.
Regarding potential legal actions, Chousak stated that according to the legal process, the petition to nullify the election must be submitted through the Ombudsman’s office, which would then refer the case to the Constitutional Court.
The Election Commission (EC) does not have the authority to declare an election invalid itself; it can only call for a re-election or order a recount in areas where issues are found.
Pheu Thai has set up a task force to closely monitor this issue, with ongoing meetings to discuss the matter. Should sufficient evidence be found, the party will proceed with legal action.
When asked whether the EC would be held accountable if voting secrecy were indeed compromised, Chousak said it would depend on whether it was intentional or due to negligence. He emphasised that a thorough investigation into the facts would be necessary.
