The Election Commission (EC) plans to seek 5 billion baht to hold the general election expected this year, saying the agency is now fully prepared for the poll.
EC chairman Ittiporn Boonprakong on Saturday said the EC has submitted a request for a budget of 5 billion baht from the Budget Bureau.
That's higher than the 4.2-billion-baht allocation for the 2019 general election because the coming election will see the number of constituencies increase from 350 to 400 with the use of two ballots, while the number of staff at each polling station will increase from five to nine, he said.
Once the bill on the election of MPs and the bill on political parties are enacted, officials will issue regulations for the poll.
They include regulations governing a primary vote to select candidates, setting up party branches and drawing election boundaries, Mr Ittiporn said. The election boundary demarcation will be based on the population in 2021.
"But if the population for 2022 is announced, the number of MPs in each province will be recalculated accordingly and election boundaries redrawn," Mr Ittiporn said.
He said the EC organised workshops on Aug 17–19 and from Nov 30–Dec 2 to prepare provincial election directors, who serve as key mechanisms in organising elections in each province.
The EC has also developed a Smart Vote app to provide the public with election information, he said.
Voters can check which polling station they can cast ballots at, information regarding election candidates and candidates for prime minister.
Mr Ittiporn also said the EC has appointed inspectors to investigate election law violations, and quick response units will be deployed to look for clues about poll fraud. The public has also been urged to come forward with information regarding law violations. They will be given a cash reward if their information leads to arrests.