Protesters Question Ballot Barcodes, Vote Count After Thai Election
Protesters Question Ballot Barcodes, Vote Count After Thai Election
BANGKOK, Feb 17, 2026 — Students from nine Thai universities staged a protest in central Bangkok on Sunday, raising concerns over transparency in the Feb. 8 general election and calling for the removal of Election Commissioners.
The rally, held at the Pathumwan Skywalk, focused on allegations of irregularities in the vote-counting process and the use of barcodes on ballot papers, which protesters said could compromise voter confidentiality.
Organizers conducted a mock referendum during the demonstration to gauge support for removing members of the Election Commission of Thailand (ECT) over the issues.
The ECT has faced mounting criticism since the Feb. 8 election over reported discrepancies between vote totals and the number of registered voters in some areas, as well as concerns about the storage of ballot boxes and related documents.
The commission is also facing several lawsuits over its decision to include barcodes on ballot papers, a move critics say could potentially allow ballots to be traced back to individual voters. The ECT has not publicly stated that the barcodes were used to identify voters.
The Election Commission has previously defended its procedures and said it is reviewing complaints in accordance with the law.
Sunday’s protest adds to growing public scrutiny of the electoral process following advance voting on Feb. 1 and nationwide polling on Feb. 8.
