Thai EC reports on voters’ turnout on Feb 2

BANGKOK, February 5 (TNA) - The Election Commission of Thailand (EC) has issued an official report on voters’ turnout nationwide on the February 2 general election and announced a new meeting on February 6 to discuss and decide on major election-related problems. According to the EC report, issued on February 5, the nationwide voters' turnout in last Sunday's general election stood at about 20.13 million, or 46.79 per cent of Thailand's overall eligible voters of 43.02 million. Valid ballots numbered 14.37 million, or 71.38 per cent, and invalid ones numbered 2.43 million, or 12.05 per cent, while “Vote No” ballots numbered 3.34 million, or 16.57 per cent. The EC report was based on the election in 68 Thai provinces, as polling did not happen in nine provinces in the Thai South, including Krabi, Chumphon, Trang, Phang-nga, Phatthalung, Phuket, Ranong, Songkhla and Surat Thani. Three provinces with the highest voters' turnout, all in the Thai North, include Chiang Mai with 827,808 voters or 75.05 per cent, Lamphun with 241,209 voters or 73.39 per cent and Mae Hong Son with 104,119 voters or 65.21 per cent. In Bangkok, there are 6,671 polling stations in 33 constituencies, 6,155 of them could operate and 516 were closed, while there are about 4.37 million eligible voters but only 16.78 per cent of them exercised their right, with 498,847 valid ballots, forming 68.04 per cent, and 58,254 invalid ballots, or 7.95 per cent, and 176,094 “Vote No” ballots, accounting for 24.02 per cent. One voter did not insert his ballot in Bangkok. There were three missing ballots in Nonthaburi Province and one in Chiang Rai Province. Two ballots were torn in Chachoengsao Province. The EC said it will hold a meeting on Thursday to discuss and make decisions on major election problems, including those concerning advance voting, the closure of polling stations and the 28 southern constituencies where there are no constituency candidates.(TNA)