The Election Commission (EC) has set up a Cyber Threat Surveillance and Response Operations Centre to ensure transparency in the election, EC secretary-general Sawaeng Boonmee said on Wednesday.
The commission worked with the National Cyber Security Agency, Office of the Personal Data Protection Commission, Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau, the Bureau of Registration Administration and National Telecom Public Co Ltd in setting up the centre.
Mr Sawaeng said the EC accepted responsibility for errors in the advanced voting last Sunday and will prevent such mistakes occurring on Election Day this Sunday. "We will keep all ballots safe and there will be no ballot rigging," said Mr Sawaeng.
Responding to a question from a Pheu Thai candidate about election observers, Mr Sawaeng said the EC encouraged all sectors to work with the EC in observing the election.
But if parties want to send their own observers, they have to inform the EC within 15 days of the poll under Section 55 of the Organic Act on the Election of Members of the House of Representatives. They must also be responsible for their own expenses.
Seats for observers will be reserved at polling stations. If they do not inform the EC in advance, parties can have their own observers but they will be situated outside polling stations.
The EC used to help cover such expenses under rules set out by the Organic Act on Political Parties 1998 but that law was scrapped under the 2007 constitution.
The EC has told directors in every province to record events at polling stations from the start of voting at 8am until the result is announced. The EC expects unofficial results about 11pm.
EC deputy secretary-general Suranee Pontawee said people can access www.ectreport.com and initial results are expected around 7pm or two hours after polling stations close.
