Voters pulled up for mutilating ballot

A voter was questioned by police after tearing up his ballot in Bang Kor Laem district yesterday.

Somdej Tiansuwan, 59, came to the polling station with his wife and went into a booth. Witnesses said he left the ballot unmarked and ripped it up.

His wife said her husband was mentally unstable and did not intend to cause a public commotion. Damaging a ballot could send the offender for up to a year in jail and a Bt20,000 fine.

In Bang Khuntien district, Ngarmnet Daengdee, 26, was questioned by police for voting twice after she returned to the polling station to cast another ballot for her grandmother.

Another voter, Praneet Watcharin, 34, caught the attention of police by shredding her ballot in Bang Phlat district.

She said she could not remember the number of the candidate she wanted to vote for, so she walked out of the booth with the ballot to look at the details of candidates posted on a board.

When officials saw her leaving the booth, they stopped her, which irritated her and led her to mutilate her ballot.

Meanwhile, Bangkok Election commissioner Supoj Paiboon said he would consult Bangkok City Clerk Ninnart Chalitanont to update the capital's civil registration as some 7,000 errors have been found.

He said the list of eligible voters includes people who had passed away. Some voters did not have their names in the list in their district but their names appeared in other districts.

Supoj, however, clarified media reports that the name Preeha Iamsa-ard, which appeared as eligible voter in four districts - Klong Toei, Nong Kaem, Bang Kae, and Sai Mai - were all different persons.

He said the EC had checked and verified that they were different men as they have different ID numbers and different dates of birth.

He added that there were 33 people across the country with the same name and family name.