The Constitutional Court judges unanimously ruled 9-0 that using QR codes on election ballots is constitutional. The use of barcodes on ballots was upheld by an 8-1 majority ruling, affirming it does not conflict with the secrecy of voting.
At 17:00 on 28 Sep 2026 GMT+7, the Constitutional Court Office announced the results of its case review regarding 22 petitions filed by the Ombudsman. The petitions requested examination of the House of Representatives election held on 8 Feb 2026 by the Election Commission (EC), which included printing barcodes and QR codes on ballots. Petitioners claimed this could allow tracing and verification back to individual voters and their votes, undermining ballot secrecy and violating the constitution.
Before proceeding, the Constitutional Court reviewed petitions objecting to two judges, Sarawut Songsivilai and Police Lieutenant General Chakrapong Wiwatvanich, filed by Mr. Polkan Setthabundee. The court found no legal grounds for objection and ordered the dismissal of these petitions.
Regarding the rulings on barcodes and QR codes, the Constitutional Court reached differing decisions on each issue as follows:
On QR codes, the Constitutional Court reached a unanimous decision (9-0). It ruled that using QR codes on both constituency-based and party-list ballots poses no constitutional problems.
On barcodes, the Constitutional Court reached a majority decision (8-1). It ruled that using barcodes on party-list ballots is also constitutional and does not violate the rights or freedoms of the complainants or the public.
The eight majority judges were Udom Sithvisawadtham, Wirul Sangthian, Jiraniti Hawanont, Banjongsak Wongprach, Udom Rattanamrit, Sumet Roykulcharoen, Sarawut Songsivilai, and Police Lieutenant General Chakrapong Wiwatvanich. The lone dissenting judge, Noppadol Thepphitak, expressed concern that barcodes could be traced back to individuals, raising constitutional issues.
Nevertheless, the majority noted the case facts show potential impacts on public trust. To ensure confidence, the court recommended the EC print ballots with anti-forgery measures that avoid marks or symbols linking to voter identity. It also advised strict, secure ballot storage procedures to prevent illegal access to voter information.
The Constitutional Court permitted the parties to obtain copies of the ruling after the 15-day period following the announcement of the decision.
