Bangkok: Former Election Commissioner Somchai Srisutthiyakorn has expressed concerns regarding the potential for electoral fraud due to ballot papers lacking serial numbers on their stubs. Somchai emphasized that this omission could violate the Election Commission's own regulations, potentially leading to a mismatch between the number of ballots and registered voters, providing grounds for legal action from citizens.

According to Thai News Agency, Somchai took to his Facebook page to criticize the situation, stating that the absence of ballot numbers on the stubs constitutes a clear violation of the Election Commission's regulations. These regulations stipulate that each ballot paper must have a serial number on the stub, which serves to verify the total count of ballots in each booklet, ensuring they correspond to the number indicated on the booklet's cover.

The omission of individual serial numbers raises concerns about potential fraud, such as the unauthorized printing of more than 20 ballots per booklet or the improper distribution of multiple ballots to voters, which could lead to discrepancies where the number of ballots surpasses the number of voters.

Somchai pointed out two possible scenarios: if the Election Commission intentionally printed ballots without serial numbers, it would be a direct violation of legal and regulatory frameworks, leaving the Commission open to lawsuits. Alternatively, if the Commission claims that serial numbers were printed but hidden through some special method, such as invisible ink, these claims can be scrutinized. Public scrutiny is possible through court-ordered inspections of sealed ballot boxes, especially in light of 157 lawsuits alleging regulatory breaches by the Election Commission.