Live: Thailand Court’s Verdict on Legality of February Election Ballots Amid Barcode, QR Code Row
BANGKOK, THAILAND – Thailand’s Constitutional Court hands down its decision on the legality of the electoral ballots used in February’s general election. The court is scheduled to read out its decision at about 0700 GMT, with a live television feed outside the court chamber.
The case stems from 22 public complaints forwarded through the Ombudsman. The petition argues that the barcodes and QR codes printed on ballot papers compromised the constitutional guarantee of a secret ballot. Critics say the sequence numbers could theoretically be traced back to individual voters, opening the door to vote-buying and coercion. The Election Commission has defended the design, saying the codes are anti-counterfeit security features and that linking a ballot to a voter would require access to physical ballot stubs stored securely in separate facilities.
The stakes are high. The election ended in a decisive win for Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s Bhumjaithai Party, whose coalition government controls more than 290 of parliament’s 500 seats. Some legal analysts expect the court to dismiss the petition and leave the government intact.
#Thailand #ThaiCourt #ConstitutionalCourt #ThaiElection #Bangkok #ElectionBallots #SecretBallot #AnutinCharnvirakul #Bhumjaithai #ThailandPolitics #LiveNews #BreakingNews #CourtVerdict
