Bangkok: "Saeng" predicts voter turnout will surge to 80%, and expects clear results to be available by 10 PM. Mr. Saweang Boonmee, Secretary-General of the Election Commission (EC), revealed the EC's readiness to manage the general election for members of parliament (MPs) concurrently with the referendum today. He confirmed that the EC is fully prepared to provide services to citizens exercising their right to vote. The Secretary-General stated that he expects a voter turnout of over 80 percent. Regarding areas with special arrangements, such as Huai Khwang district where polling stations for the general election and referendum ballots for those who registered in advance have been separated, he expressed no concern, as officials are readily available to provide assistance and clear information to the public.
According to Thai News Agency, regarding the rumors of vote buying during the recent "Night of the Howling Dogs" election, Mr. Saeng admitted that he had received reports of some wrongdoing. He has ordered a thorough investigation and serious legal action, and will report the results of the proceedings accordingly.
Furthermore, the process of counting votes is reassuring to the public that if any irregularities are found, such as an official calling out the wrong name or the score not matching the ballot, observers can raise their hand to point out the error to the polling station official so that it can be corrected immediately.
Regarding the vote counting timeframe, Mr. Saeng predicted that after the polls close at 5:00 PM, the first batch of votes will begin to enter the system around 6:00 PM, and a clearer overall picture of the results will become visible from around 10:00 PM onwards. He also urged the public to verify information from accurate sources to prevent inaccuracies.