The Election Commission held a meeting to reach a conclusion on new ballots, concerned about the impact of the “barcode” case after being sued for constitutional violations that could invalidate the election. They are considering ordering a recount at more than 20 locations after discovering discrepancies in ballot counts.
On 17 February 2026, at the Election Commission (EC) office, the EC board held a meeting to consider ongoing matters related to printing new ballots scheduled for 22 February in Bangkok, Nan, and Udon Thani. The atmosphere was tense due to legal issues regarding the "barcode" symbol on the ballots.
A source at the meeting revealed that the EC has yet to decide whether to use the original ballot format with barcodes and serial numbers as in the 8 February election, fearing that removing the barcode could serve as evidence in lawsuits claiming that barcodes compromise ballot secrecy and violate the constitution, potentially nullifying the entire national election.
Additionally, the meeting is expected to approve ordering a recount at more than 20 locations after problems arose with "ballot discrepancies," meaning the number of ballots did not match the number of voters. This discrepancy was reflected on an unofficial website (ECT Report 69), showing a difference of up to 66,000 voters between district and party-list tallies, preventing the EC from officially announcing results. The recount is expected by late February.
Regarding the scandal in Samut Prakan province, where marked ballots from District 6 were found discarded at a municipal landfill, the EC summoned the provincial director for an explanation. Initially, it was claimed that the ballots were marked incorrectly and replaced with new ones in front of citizens. However, it remains unclear how the damaged ballots left the district office and ended up in the landfill. The EC is investigating whether this was a deliberate attempt to discredit the election.
Notably, amid mounting pressure, the EC decided to suspend press conferences to prevent statements from being misinterpreted negatively and will focus on clarifications through press releases. In response to complaints filed with the Personal Data Protection Committee (PDPC) regarding the barcode’s traceability to individuals, the EC confirmed it has submitted legal clarifications and emphasized that the election remains confidential as mandated by law.