A former Election Commissioner challenges the current Commission to hold a mock election to prove that the "barcode" system can indeed identify voters, both in theory and practice.
On 10 March 2026 GMT+7, Mr. Somchai Srisutthiyakorn, former Election Commissioner, raised concerns about ballot security by proposing a mock election in front of the Election Commission to prove that the "barcode" system on ballots can identify voters. He urged the Commission to remove barcodes from the upcoming Bangkok election.
Mr. Somchai cited results from a mock election test conducted by the Senate's Political Development Committee, stating that the Election Commission's system has serious weaknesses. Both theoretical and practical tests showed that 3 out of 5 teams guessed voter choices with 100% accuracy, another team 90%, and the last 40%. This confirms that the barcode system can reveal who voted for whom, even though individual names were never publicly disclosed.
The former Commissioner also proposed that the current Election Commission conduct another mock election at the courtyard of Building B, Government Complex, to openly demonstrate the problem. He advised that for the Bangkok election and future polls, the Commission should discontinue barcode use—whether linked per ballot, per booklet, or by production batch—as it creates public suspicion. Instead, he recommended alternative methods to prevent fraud or count ballots without compromising voter secrecy.
Mr. Somchai warned that if the Election Commission stubbornly insists on continuing barcode use, it should prepare for backlash and social criticism. He also urged staff and internal teams to work more carefully and courageously, voicing opinions on what should or should not be done to the Commission, rather than blindly agreeing. He noted that negative consequences will damage the organization's credibility.