Provincial Senate election tomorrow: Candidates must be punctual

The nationwide provincial-level Senate election will occur tomorrow, with the Election Commission (EC) urging candidates to arrive at polling stations punctually without introducing themselves during the vote.

Election officials, led by EC Secretary-General Sawaeng Boonmee, inspected the Vayupak Convention Centre at the Centara Life Government Complex Hotel on Chaeng Watthana Road in Lak Si district, a designated polling station for the district-level Bangkok vote.

Sawaeng stated that the number of successful candidates has been reduced as the process progresses from the district to the provincial level, ensuring a smoother voting process.

Some 23,645 candidates have been shortlisted for the provincial-level election. Sawaeng emphasised that candidates must register at provincial polling stations between 8am and 9am tomorrow. Latecomers will forfeit their chance to run.

“Just one second late is not allowed. Every candidate must manage their travel time to avoid traffic jams.”

Candidates are prohibited from introducing themselves to other candidates at polling stations.

Deputy City Clerk at the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), Wantanee Watana, mentioned that reporters and the public could observe the election process via CCTV, but interviews will not be permitted.

Provincial election offices must provide facilities for disabled or elderly candidates participating in the Senate election, such as wheelchair ramps, rails, and vehicle lifts, to ensure easy access to the buildings. Polling stations for these groups of candidates should be on the ground floor, Wantanee added.

According to the 2017 constitution, the new Senate, which will replace the junta-appointed chamber, will consist of 200 members selected from 20 professional groups, with 10 seats allocated for each group. These members will not be directly elected by the public.

The EC-organised election follows a three-phase process where candidates vote among themselves within their professional groups and other groups at district, provincial, and national levels.

At the district level, an intra-group election was held, and the five candidates with the highest votes in each group advanced to an inter-group election.

In the inter-group poll, the three candidates with the most votes were shortlisted per group, totalling 60 candidates across 20 groups, reported Bangkok Post.

Now, these shortlisted candidates will undergo a similar process at the provincial level. During the inter-group poll, only the two candidates with the most votes in each group will progress to the final national stage, where the top 10 candidates from each of the 20 groups will be selected as senators.