Secretary-General Saowang acknowledged that sample referendum ballots included in documents sent to household heads may have missing text, attributing this to the Cabinet. He also revealed that the Election Commission has not yet certified 17 MP candidates and one prime ministerial candidate because their qualifications are still under review.
At 11:30 a.m. on 8 January 2026 GMT+7, Mr. Saowang Boonmee, Secretary-General of the Election Commission, explained the case after Mr. Somchai Srisutthiyakorn, a former Election Commissioner, raised concerns that the sample referendum ballots appearing in the documents sent to household heads contained missing text, which might cause public confusion, given that the referendum materials comprise 31 pages of content requiring understanding. The Election Commission has already sent referendum documents to household heads, and the content strictly follows every character from the Cabinet's submission; the Election Commission did not prepare the content. The Commission’s role is only to print and distribute, ensuring the documents do not promote advantages or disadvantages. They admit that errors or omissions may have occurred and thus additional public relations efforts are needed. Political parties can also promote awareness regarding the referendum.
Mr. Saowang emphasized that referendum promotion consists of three parts: first, the official letter from the Cabinet sent to the Election Commission to distribute to household heads as information; second, public forums held between supporters and opponents; and third, campaigning, which communicates desires for approval or disapproval with reasons. The general public may express their stance on the referendum as long as it does not violate laws or spread falsehoods. Campaigning involves persuasion to encourage voting participation and support or opposition.
Meanwhile, Mr. Saowang also addressed the situation following the announcement of candidates for the House of Representatives elections by constituency and party list, as well as the prime ministerial candidate, stating that the Election Commission has not announced the candidacy of 16 constituency candidates, one party list candidate, and one prime ministerial candidate. He could not confirm the reasons why these candidates were not announced, which may include failure to meet party membership duration as required by law before election day, court rulings, or other legal reasons. Those not announced may appeal to the Supreme Court according to legal procedures. For candidates whose names have been announced, the public may file objections with the Election Commission within seven days from the announcement date if they believe a candidate lacks qualifications.
The Election Commission Secretary-General also commented on the number of eligible voters for 8 February 2026, noting that the Commission has not yet received official figures from the Ministry of Interior, as data compilation is ongoing and may be incomplete. This is especially true after recent completion of early voting registration and out-of-district referendum registration on 5 January 2026. The next steps include verifying household registration lists before printing voter lists to be posted at polling stations, allowing the public to check for omissions or additions. It is expected that the Ministry of Interior will provide the complete voter list to the Election Commission by 13 January 2026.