Nattapong says the Election Commission's issuance of new ballots is effectively an admission that the ballots used on 8 February had problems. He plans to press charges under Section 157 and stresses that ballot information must remain confidential. The Prachachon Party is preparing contingency plans should the election be declared invalid.
On 22 February 2026, Mr. Nattapong Ruangpanyawut, leader of the Prachachon Party, commented on the case of the new election ballots at polling station 9, electoral district 15 (Khan Na Yao district), Bangkok, where it was found that the pink party-list ballots lacked stub numbers. This means the Election Commission changed the ballot design even though millions of the original ballots remained unused, indicating the EC’s acceptance that the ballots used on 8 February had problems. , He called on all relevant agencies, including the Ombudsman and courts such as the Constitutional and Administrative Courts, to handle the evidence and facts transparently and straightforwardly. The Prachachon Party plans to file charges under Section 157, while civil society groups have already sought other legal channels.
When asked if removing the stub numbers was to prevent photographing the ballots and tracing votes, Nattapong said that yesterday (21 February), the EC officially stated that photographing ballots during voting is illegal. However, the law actually prohibits photographing ballots after votes have been cast, so photographing before detaching the stub is allowed. Even without photos, voters can note their stub numbers and trace subsequent voters' choices. The EC is aware of this loophole, so their claim that voting is confidential is untrue. Thus, they issued new ballots, likely not by mistake, since old ballots were available but they chose to print new ones to close this loophole.
Nattapong added that whether this confirms the EC's mistakes remains to be seen, and fairness requires waiting for the EC’s explanation. All ballots from the 8 February election are secured in ballot boxes. If confidentiality is upheld, why change the ballot design? The current process cannot guarantee secrecy, so they changed the ballots. This interpretation of the law is inappropriate; if ballots must remain confidential, that confidentiality should be absolute, not compromised by any EC official opening ballot boxes and discovering individual votes.
Regarding the increased number of spoiled ballots, he urged the EC to disclose all relevant data transparently, including the marking forms S.S. 5/11 and S.S. 5/18, to verify consistency across all polling stations, comparing citizen-recorded photos on election day with EC releases to confirm whether the tally matches and if spoiled ballots are justified.
When asked how the Prachachon Party plans to respond if the election is voided, Nattapong said that at a recent seminar, views were shared and contingency plans prepared for every scenario. Mr. Teera Suthewarangkul, the party’s party-list MP candidate, explained the overall timeline if the election is invalidated. However, he emphasized that the party cannot speak on behalf of the courts; the outcome depends on the court rulings and relevant agencies.