The Ombudsman has resolved to petition the Constitutional Court to rule on whether the use of barcodes and QR codes on ballot papers in Thailand’s Feb 8 general election violated the constitutional requirement that voting be conducted directly and by secret ballot. The design and printing of ballot papers containing barcodes and QR codes could reasonably be believed to allow links to be made back to individual voters, it said. Other complaints pendingThe Office of the Ombudsman said it is also examining other complaints related to the conduct of the election. The Ombudsman is also reviewing complaints concerning the number of constituency and party-list ballot papers, which were reportedly not equal, and whether the use of barcodes and QR codes on ballot papers violated the Personal Data Protection Act. The party says it is seeking legal clarity on the exact uses of “identifying marks” on ballot papers, an issue that it said could possibly reach the Supreme Court.

Source: Bangkok Post March 14, 2026 14:07 UTC