The Election Commission emphasizes that counted election ballots and related election documents must be retained for no less than two years from election day. These must be stored securely, transparently, and be subject to verification.
On 11 Feb 2026 GMT+7, the Office of the Election Commission issued a public announcement to build public confidence regarding the storage of counted election ballots and related documents from the parliamentary elections held on 8 Feb 2026 GMT+7. It stated that according to the Election Commission's regulations on parliamentary elections B.E. 2566 (2023) and its amendments,
Section 251 Within seven days after the end of election day voting, the Election Commission officials at each electoral district or their appointed representatives must collect the ballots used for voting, ballot stubs, and any reserve ballots by polling unit, subdistrict, district, and electoral district. These must be stored at locations designated by the district Election Commission. A report on the transfer of ballot boxes, ballot stubs, remaining ballots, documents, and election materials must be prepared using form MP5/20 as proof of handover to the provincial Election Commission director. Once completed, the ballots are considered under the control of the provincial Election Commission director. Any action requires prior approval from the provincial Election Commission director.
Section 252 The ballots, ballot stubs, and election documents eligible for destruction under these regulations include:
(1) Ballots used in voting, corresponding ballot stubs used in voting, and full unused ballot booklets,
(2) Full unused ballot booklets,
(3) Election-related documents.
These must be securely retained for no less than two years.
Ballots, ballot stubs, and election-related documents eligible for destruction under paragraph one must be kept for at least two years from election day and must comply with
the following criteria and conditions:
(1) The Election Commission has officially announced the election results, and there are no complaints regarding the vote counting process,
(2) There are no complaints regarding ballot irregularities or only complaints filed with the Election Commission or Supreme Court that have been resolved,
(3) There are no criminal, civil, or administrative cases related to ballot irregularities, voting, election documents, or vote counting, or if cases are under judicial review, they have been conclusively resolved. These procedures are part of an election management process founded on transparency, accountability, and fairness to ensure public confidence that every ballot is securely preserved after counting, supporting honest, fair, and lawful elections.
