The Constitutional Court has scheduled a meeting on 18 March to consider whether to accept the petition regarding the "barcode-QR code on ballots" case, following concerns that it might affect the principle of secret voting.
On 16 March 2026 at 10:00 a.m. at the Constitutional Court Office, it was reported that the Constitutional Court judges' meeting on Wednesday, 18 March, is closely watched by many parties due to a key agenda: deciding whether to accept a petition related to the 2026 general election. The petition originated from citizens who filed through the Ombudsman's Office, raising concerns that printing barcodes and QR codes on the ballots used in the 8 February election for members of the House of Representatives could allow tracing or linking back to the voters. This could undermine the fundamental constitutional principle of secret ballots.
Earlier, on 10 March, the Ombudsman reviewed a total of 21 petitions and considered this issue significant enough to forward it to the Constitutional Court for a constitutional ruling. It was noted that the barcode system on ballots might violate the constitutional principles of direct and secret elections. Meanwhile, the Election Commission (EC) explained that the use of barcodes and QR codes on ballots aims solely to prevent forgery and to verify the printing process, emphasizing that these codes cannot identify individual voters.