MONGKOL BANGPRAPA

The Election Commission will seek an amendment to the law on election of MPs and senators, to allow voters who show up at polling units before and at closing time to cast their ballots.

It was reported many missed the chance to vote due to long queues in yesterday's general election.

Commissioner Parinya Nakchatri said the EC would propose an amendment similar to the local election law which would allow all those turning up at election units at 3pm closing time, to vote even though they would have to queue up for ballot papers after closing time.

The move came after Yala's provincial election committee chairman Maj Thian Kaewnit reported to the EC via a video conference system yesterday that many eligible voters failed to cast their ballots since they showed up shortly before 3pm, and queues at several polling units in Yala were too long for them to get ballot papers in time. Similar cases were also reported in other provinces.

Mr Parinya said voting at all election units nationwide went smoothly without incident, though there were insufficient ballot papers at certain units such as those in Chiang Mai, and ballot papers had to be borrowed from nearby units as those who had registered to vote outside their constituencies showed up to vote in their own constituencies instead.

Unofficial results of the election were expected to be known by noon today.

The provincial election committee of Nakhon Ratchasima informed Mr Parinya that a number of villagers failed to reach polling units in time because traffic was so congested on the Pak Chong-Nakhon Ratchasima road and travelling along the route took three hours yesterday instead of the usual hour and a half.

Prapa Kayi, who chairs Phuket's provincial election committee, reported that a deputy governor of Phuket who had work commitments assisting tsunami victims yesterday, found his name had disappeared from the list of eligible voters by mistake.

Kitti Prommarak, chairman of Chiang Mai's provincial election committee, said ballot boxes from Om Koi district's remote tambons Om Koi and Sob Khong would arrive in downtown Chiang Mai for vote counting at around 3am today, via four-wheel-drive vehicles.