Bangkok: The Election Commission of Thailand (ECT) has announced a significant reduction in the number of ballot papers for the forthcoming parliamentary elections and referendums due to a decrease in the number of eligible voters. This move is expected to save considerable funds.

According to Thai News Agency, the ECT revealed that it will print three types of ballot papers for the elections: constituency-based ballots, party-list ballots, and referendum ballots, with each type totaling 56,100,000. This figure was initially calculated based on approximately 53,400,000 eligible voters and referendum participants, with an additional 5% reserve included to cater for three rounds of voting. However, the Bureau of Registration Administration under the Department of Provincial Administration has updated the voter registration lists as of January 14, 2026, showing a total of 52,922,923 eligible voters for the elections and referendum scheduled for February 8th.

Taking this updated voter count into account, along with a 5% reserve, the total number of ballots needed for each type has been adjusted to 55,650,000. This adjustment results in a reduction of 450,000 ballots per type from the original estimate, reflecting the ECT's strategy to achieve cost-effectiveness and maximize resource utilization.