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Somchai Questions EC on Expensive Ballot Gifts, Lack of Security Features

Somchai Questions EC on Expensive Ballot Gifts, Lack of Security Features

Prachachat•Politics•16h ago

Reader Briefing

Former Election Commissioner Somchai Srisutthiyakorn criticizes the Election Commission (EC) for procurement weaknesses in ballot printing, specifically the absence of bar codes and QR codes, arguing these omissions constitute costly additions that compromise security.

  • •Former EC member Somchai Srisutthiyakorn has raised concerns over the Terms of Reference (TOR) for ballot printing.
  • •He questioned the lack of bar codes and QR codes on new ballots, deeming them 'expensive freebies'.
  • •Somchai highlighted security risks associated with the absence of these features, particularly on the pink and green ballots.

Overview

  • •Former Election Commissioner (EC) Somchai Srisutthiyakorn stated that the TOR for ballot printing lacks bar codes and QR codes.
  • •Somchai Srisutthiyakorn described the inclusion of features not specified in the TOR as 'expensive freebies' for the EC.
  • •The EC is responsible for printing 56 million ballots for three types: pink (proportional representation), green (constituency), and yellow (referendum).
  • •The absence of bar codes or QR codes is due to the TOR not explicitly requiring them for anti-fraud measures like preventing forgery, overprinting, or cross-district use.
  • •Somchai Srisutthiyakorn noted that the pink ballot's bar code allows anyone with a scanner to obtain the ballot number, linked to electoral rolls and voter information.
  • •The green ballot's QR code offers higher security as it's restricted to a 5-digit alphanumeric code, needing a court order to access detailed ballot information.
  • •Somchai Srisutthiyakorn estimated the cost of these 'freebies' to be 7,800 million THB, with the pink ballots alone costing approximately 4,000 million THB if a new election were held.
  • •Somchai Srisutthiyakorn criticized the EC for approving and signing off on the production when aware of the costly additions, suggesting a lack of thoroughness.

Full article content is available on the original source.

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Source: Prachachat (Original)

Key Quotes

สมชัย ศรีสุทธิยากร (Somchai Srisutthiyakorn)
"Expensive freebies"
ของแถมราคาแพง
สมชัย ศรีสุทธิยากร (Somchai Srisutthiyakorn)
"If a new election only for pink ballots, it's about 4,000 million, divided by how many people?"
หากเลือกตั้งใหม่เฉพาะบัตรชมพู ก็ราว 4,000 ล้าน หารกันกี่คนครับ

Key Entities

Person

Somchai Srisutthiyakorn(สมชัย ศรีสุทธิยากร)ℹ️
Former member of the Election Commission (EC) who is publicly critiquing the EC's procurement of ballot printing.

Organization

Election Commission (EC)(กกต.)ℹ️
The Thai organization responsible for organizing elections and the procurement of election materials, including ballot printing.

Law

Terms of Reference (TOR)(TOR)
The document outlining the conditions and specifications for the procurement of ballot printing services.