The Election Commission (EC) is preparing to send yellow referendum ballot samples to households, confident that there will be no confusion on the actual voting day. They clarified that Sarawut Benjakul was appointed as a member of the party policy review committee based on his knowledge and qualifications and emphasized that this appointment is unrelated to the National Anti-Corruption Commission's investigation into the courthouse renovation project.
On 9 Dec 2026 GMT+7, at the headquarters of Thailand Post Company Limited, Sarawong Bunmee, Secretary-General of the EC, stated that 56.1 million ballots have been printed for this election, with about 53.4 million eligible voters. The EC printed more than 5% extra ballots, or over 100,000 booklets of 20 ballots each, to serve as reserves, particularly for early voting and overseas voting.
Sarawong explained regarding the documents sent to household heads that the printed materials use two colors—blue and black—causing the referendum ballot sample to appear blue as well. However, the actual referendum ballot is yellow. Therefore, additional public information efforts will be made, and yellow referendum ballot samples will be sent again to households. He is confident that no confusion will occur on the voting day, as the polling station will display a yellow ballot sample, and the ballot itself will include instructions to mark a cross.
Sarawong added that he expects this referendum to be livelier than previous ones due to the democratic atmosphere combined with the simultaneous House of Representatives election. In past elections, voter turnout was around 75%. The EC will intensify public information efforts, focusing on key points of approval or disapproval to provide comprehensive knowledge and understanding to the public.
Sarawong also clarified the appointment of Sarawut Benjakul, former Secretary-General of the Office of the Judiciary, who is under investigation by the NACC for corruption related to courthouse renovation projects worth over 42.3 million baht at Phra Khanong Provincial Court and totaling about 134 million baht including renovations at Taling Chan and Minburi courts. Sarawut was selected as a member of the party policy review committee for his expertise in law and various fields including economics, society, and security. The EC prioritizes knowledge, ability, and qualifications, not ongoing investigations or unresolved issues. Sarawut's role involves policy review work without authority or influence, which does not affect the substance of the committee's work.