EC targets 65% voter turnout at Feb 1 PAO polls
Despite the elections being held on a Saturday, EC chief expresses confidence that voter participation will still meet the target
Election Commission chairman Ittiporn Boonpracong said on Wednesday that the EC hopes for a voter turnout of at least 65% in the upcoming provincial administrative organisations (PAO) elections on February 1.
He noted that though the election falls on a Saturday instead of the usual Sunday, the EC still expects at least 65% of voters to cast their ballot.
He explained that the EC has launched awareness campaigns encouraging employers to give their employees time off to vote. Additionally, public relations efforts have informed voters of their right to request permission to leave work to vote.
Ittiporn said the 65% turnout goal is based on the 62.86% turnout in the 2020 PAO elections. Ittiporn said that voter turnout in local elections is typically lower compared to general elections, with some provinces historically seeing lower participation in local races.
The EC chairman also revealed that following the December 27 registration deadline, 192 candidates have applied for the PAO presidential election and 6,815 others have filed for PAO member elections. However, three presidential candidates and 92 PAO member candidates have yet to be certified.
The EC is scheduled to make final decisions on their candidacies in meetings on January 13 and 14, Ittiporn added.
