Bangkok: The Secretary-General of the Election Commission of Thailand (ECT) revealed that the overall election for the Roi Et Provincial Administrative Organization (PAO) chairman went smoothly, despite intermittent rain. The rain did not affect the polling stations or the vote counting process. He affirmed that the election officials performed their duties according to the checklist with minimal errors. Meanwhile, the governor thanked the public for exercising their right to vote and urged those unable to attend to report their reasons via the ECT website.
According to Thai News Agency, the atmosphere before the closing of polling for the PAO chairman election at 4:45 PM was tense. Mr. Saeng Boonmee, Secretary-General of the Election Commission, Acting Lieutenant Colonel Phaskorn Siriphakayaporn, Deputy Secretary-General of the Election Commission, Ms. Phanwipa Sangkhatip, Director of the Roi Et Provincial Election Commission Office, and Mr. Chatchawan Benjasiriwong, Governor of Roi Et Province, traveled to polling station 25 at Wat Pa Sri Phaiwan, Village 17, Sala Tham Sangwet 1, Ban Thai Udom, Nuea Mueang Subdistrict, Mueang District, Roi Et Province, and polling station 26 at Sala Tham Sangwet 2, to observe the closing of polling and vote counting, amidst heavy rain.
At 5:00 PM, the head of the polling station announced the official closing time for voting and began counting the votes at the polling station. The Secretary-General of the Election Commission and his team observed the counting process from the front of the station. Despite heavy rain, the polling station officials were well-prepared and the counting proceeded smoothly. The votes were announced clearly and loudly. In cases of invalid ballots due to the absence of a cross mark or the use of other symbols in the voting box, officials clearly informed voters and had the head of the polling station sign to record the invalidation as evidence.
Mr. Saeng gave an interview regarding the overall election process, stating that from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, there were periods of rain, but this did not deter the people of Roi Et province. They continued to come out to vote. Just before the polling stations closed, there was heavy rain, but no strong winds, so it did not affect the closing of the polling stations or the vote counting process, as most polling stations were located indoors.
Regarding the accuracy of the polling officers' duties, there is a verification system with checklist documents. The polling station chairman will oversee the procedures from opening the polling station to closing the ballot counting. Therefore, the possibility of errors is minimized. This is a collaborative effort between the Election Commission and the Provincial Administrative Organization to ensure accurate vote counting. However, unofficial results are expected to be reported sooner than anticipated, around 10:00 PM, as there are only three candidates and the election is for only the position of Provincial Administrative Organization Chairman. It is necessary to monitor whether voter turnout reaches the projected 65%. However, the weather conditions, including rain before the polls closed, will need to be assessed to see how that affects the results. Overall, there have been no reports of election law violations in the province.
Mr. Chatchawal, the Governor of Roi Et Province, added gratitude to all the people of Roi Et Province who came together to exercise their right to vote for the Provincial Administrative Organization (PAO) President. The process went smoothly, and vote counting is currently underway. An unofficial announcement of the winner of this PAO President election is expected no later than 9:00-10:00 PM.
Mr. Chatchawal further revealed that there will be no advance voting in today's PAO mayoral election. Some citizens may be unable to return to their hometowns or Roi Et province due to other commitments. However, they can report the reason for their absence through the Election Commission's website to ensure they do not lose their right to vote in the future.