The Election Commission (EC) said it is printing 57 million ballots for the May 14 general election and gave assurances that the authenticity of the ballots can be verified to prevent electoral fraud.
EC deputy secretary-general Kittipong Boriboon said yesterday there are 52 eligible voters this year and the EC plans to print 57 million ballot sheets, which come in book form.
Sheets can be torn out of the books to create an individual ballot, which will then be handed to each voter. However, the books will be distributed to the polling stations whole, making it extremely difficult to tamper with them, he said.
Normally, the delivered ballots must match the number of eligible voters at each respective station. But spare ballots may be kept at the station.
Mr Kittipong said the ballots are designed to be verified by details such as the texture of the paper or via colour identification.
He said no final decision had been made on which colour will be used. The EC is more focused on educating voters about the dual-ballot system, he said. This will be in place in the next poll, with one ballot for electing a constituency MP and the other for a party.
Appearing on the constituency ballot are the campaign numbers of the MP candidates next to boxes to tick. The list ballot features the parties’ campaign numbers, the names of the parties and their logos next to the boxes.
The ballots will be different from those used in 2019 when a single-ballot system was used.
Pictures and details of constituency candidates and political parties will be printed and exhibited prominently next to the voting booths on election day, he added.