Thailand to introduce e-voting system

BANGKOK, July 27 (TNA) - The Election Commission of Thailand (EC) plans to introduce an electronic voting or e-voting system for the country's next general election, as electronic voting machines are being developed in the country. EC Secretary-General Puchong Nutrawong told reporters on Friday that the e-voting machines are being developed, in conjunction with Aeronautical Radio of Thailand Ltd., to provide convenient and speedy balloting process for Thai voters. Puchong acknowledged that the e-voting machines can serve up to 30 candidates at a time, with the candidate ballot numbers to be clearly lit up. According to the EC chief, once a candidate ballot number is selected, a paper slip will be printed out to reassure voters that the machine has already recorded the particular number, after that the machine will display its readiness for the next voter. The EC chief said that the e-voting machines are lightweight, compact and portable which can be placed at polling station booths, and that the EC has tested the e-voting machines through various stages of development since 2002, with the current model being the fourth generation and having won an invention award for 2013 from the National Research Council of Thailand (NRC). (TNA)