10 key points from the Election Commission explaining why QR codes and barcodes appear on ballots. They confirm these are security systems to prevent ballot tampering and enable tracing if ballots leak outside the district.
Today (13 Feb 2026) at the Election Commission Office, a press conference was held to clarify social media reports about QR codes and barcodes appearing on ballots. It was found that these codes allow verification of which voter cast a particular ballot, due to the number printed on the ballot stub that must be signed before receiving the ballot.
The key points about QR codes and barcodes from the statement are summarized as follows:
1. Election regulations grant the Election Commission the authority to include codes.
2. Additional marks on ballots can be added without prior notice.
3. To prevent forgery.
4. To control and manage ballot administration.
5. Barcodes help verify if more ballots than authorized have been printed.
6. Barcodes are checked before binding ballot booklets.
7. Each booklet contains 20 ballots used per polling station, preventing ballot tampering.
8. If any ballots leak outside, responsibility can be identified.
9. To prevent fraud such as counterfeit ballots or using ballots across districts.
10. Ballot stubs are securely stored for two years.
Source: From the Election Commission press conference.