Bumpy advance vote

There were no reports of violence at yesterday's advance vote, but the process wasn't as smooth as it should have been either.

Voters cast their ballots. Photo by Jetjaras Na Ranong.

Traffic slows, tempers flare at poll booths

Advance voting turnout in capital put at 58%

Post Reporters

Advance voting, held across the country yesterday, was plagued with confusion as some voters' names went missing, although no violence was reported.

Traffic jams were reported outside some polling stations in Bangkok and nearby provinces, though City Hall said less than 60% of voters from the provinces who registered to vote in advance in Bangkok actually turned out.

Voters wait their turn to vote at booths. People can vote in advance at polling stations outside their home provinces where they have their house registrations. Photo by Pattanapong Hirunard.

About 40,000 people turned up to vote at the Naval Academy in Muang district of Samut Prakan.

However, some voters could not find their names on the registration sheets and tempers flared.

Crowds of voters flowing into polling stations caused traffic jams on adjacent Sukhumvit Road. About 20 police were sent to manage the tailback, which stretched several kilometres.

Election officials in Bang Kapi take boxes full of ballots to a postal office. Photo by Pattanapong Hirunard.

Traffic also backed up outside a polling unit in Bang Kapi district, where more than 100,000 people registered to vote in advance.

Election Commission secretary-general Suthiphon Thaveechaiygarn said the names of some voters at the academy polling station were still with constituencies' election offices, which meant some voters could not find their names on registration papers.

He said voters whose names were missing should go to the Samut Prakan election office and show an EC document confirming their right to vote in advance.

The office would then grant them the right to vote in the main national election on Sunday.

Ballot boxes for advance votes are being kept under lock and key, says Pol Maj Gen Pongsapat Pongcharoen, adviser to the Royal Thai Police Office.

Tight security was in place, with police escorting the delivery trucks carrying the ballot boxes.

Ballot boxes for advance votes in Bangkok will be kept at City Hall while those in the provinces will be kept at police stations under tight security.

In Nakhon Ratchasima, ballot boxes for advance votes will be kept in unoccupied inmate cells at 15 police stations.

Ballot boxes containing advance votes will say closed until the general election on Sunday, when they will be counted alongside ordinary votes.

Of the 47 million eligible voters, 2.6 million registered for advance voting, which allows voters to cast ballots at polling stations outside their home districts.

Bangkok city clerk Charoenrat Chutipong said unofficial figures showed that 1,079,923 people registered to vote in advance outside their home provinces in Bangkok. Of these, 631,513 (58.48%) turned out.

Pheu Thai Party's prime ministerial candidate, Yingluck Shinawatra, said she wanted the EC to allow parties to inspect the storage of ballot boxes to make sure they are secure.

ballot – the piece of paper on which someone marks who they are voting for บัตรเลือกตั้ง
cast a ballot – to vote, i.e., to put a marked ballot in a ballot box ลงคะแนน, หย่อนบัตรเลือกตั้ง, ออกเสียงเลือกตั้ง
polling station – the place where people vote in an election หน่วยเลือกตั้ง
in advance – before the time that is expected; before something happens ล่วงหน้า
turn – the time when somebody in a group of people should or is allowed to do something โอกาส
polling booth – the small structure, often closed from the view of others, where people vote คูหา
temper – a tendency to get angry very quickly อารมณ์โกรธ, ความโกรธ
flare – to suddenly become angry or violent ระเบิด (อารมณ์, ความรุนแรง)
turnout – the number or percentage of eligible voters who vote in an election จำนวนผู้ออกมาลงคะแนน
plague – to cause a lot of problems for someone ทำให้ยุ่งยาก
confusion – a feeling that you do not understand something or cannot decide what to do ความสับสน
violence – physical force with the deliberate intention of causing damage to property or injury or death to people ความรุนแรง
register – to put your name and other information on an official list in order to be allowed to do something, e.g., vote, study, stay in a hotel etc ลงทะเบียน
turn up – to come somewhere มาถึง
academy – a school which teaches a particular subject or trains people for a particular job สถานศึกษา, สถาบันการศึกษา, วิทยาลัย(เฉพาะด้าน)
adjacent – very near, next to, or touching ติดกัน
tailback – a long line of traffic that is moving slowly or not moving at all, because something is blocking the road
stretch – to cause something to reach, often as far as possible, in a particular direction ขยายออก
Election Commission – the independent government agency that oversees elections คณะกรรมการเลือกตั้ง
constituency – a district that elects its own representative to parliament เขตเลือกตั้ง
document – a paper or set of papers with written or printed information, especially of an official type  เอกสาร
grant – to officially give something  ให้
ballot box – the containing into which voters put a marked ballot หีบบัตรเลือกตั้ง
keep under lock and key – to lock up safely somewhere
escort – to go with someone or something คุ้ม
City Hall – the headquarters of a city government, in this case, Bangkok ศาลาว่าการกรุงเทพ
tight – closely and firmly; tightly แน่น
security – protection; safety from attack, harm, or damage ระบบรักษาความปลอดภัย
unoccupied – have no one or nothing inside
inmate – someone who is kept in a prison นักโทษ
cell – a small room where a prisoner is kept ห้องขังนักโทษ
ordinary – not unusual or different in any way ธรรมดา, ปกติ
eligible – allowed by rules or laws to do something or to receive something มีสิทธิตามกฎหมาย
figure – a number representing a particular amount, especially one given in official information ตัวเลข, จำนวนเลข
candidate – a person who is trying to be elected ผู้สมัครรับเลือกตั้ง
inspect – to look at something carefully ตรวจสอบ
storage – the putting and keeping of things in a special place for use in the future การเก็บ
secure – safe from attack or harm ปลอดภัย