Bangkok: A substitute senator has initiated legal action against the Election Commission by filing a lawsuit with the Administrative Court concerning the controversial use of barcodes in the parliamentary elections.

According to Thai News Agency, on February 16th, both the Election Commission (EC) and a reserve senator approached the Supreme Administrative Court with a petition seeking accountability from the EC over the barcode issue, which they claim could invalidate the election results. The petitioners raised concerns about why barcodes were exclusively used in the parliamentary elections and not in the referendum, insinuating potential deliberate fraud aimed at Members of Parliament (MPs). They also called for a temporary suspension of the parliamentary election results until a conclusive ruling is made.

Senator Akkarawat Pongthanachalitkul, a reserve Senate member, revealed during a press conference that he has filed a lawsuit against the Election Commission of Thailand (ECT), its Office, and the Secretary-General, accusing them of misconduct in managing the elections. The suit contends that the inclusion of barcodes and QR codes on ballots violated the principle of secret balloting and constitutional provisions, resulting in damages. Akkarawat seeks a court order declaring the ballots for the party-list and constituency elections on February 1st and 8th, 2026, as invalid, demanding they not be counted and be publicly destroyed. Additionally, the lawsuit requests punitive measures against the ECT and its executives under the Organic Act on the Election of Members of Parliament, including imprisonment, revocation of voting rights, and financial responsibility for the cost of new elections. The plaintiffs have also urged the court to expedite the trial before the Election Commission certifies the new parliamen tary election results and to temporarily withhold these results pending a final decision.

Mr. Akkharawat argued that despite the Election Commission's explanation on February 13, 2026, that printing barcodes and QR codes served security purposes to prevent counterfeiting, this rationale was unsatisfactory. He pointed out the absence of such codes in the referendum ballots, suggesting an intention to commit fraud specifically in the parliamentary elections. This situation, he asserted, creates public apprehension, as polling officials or campaign workers could potentially photograph ballots during counting, allowing for voter tracing and undermining ballot confidentiality, which could facilitate vote buying.