What’s in a Number? The Implications of Thailand’s Ballot Design

[webfact]

 

by Thai Data Points
by Allen Hicken

 

“What number will you choose?” shouts the speaker. “Three!!” the crowd cries in return. “What number?” “Three!!”“What?” “Three!!” 

 

This particular call and response came during a rally in Kamphaeng Phet province, but similar scenes have been playing out all over Thailand in the last several weeks as candidates, campaign workers, and party leaders hit the campaign trail in search of votes. The speaker went on to explain that if voters forgot the number they could hold up the OK sign and count their fingers. Or, if they had been a boy scout, they could use the scout salute as a reminder.

 

Figure 1. Thailand’s Ballot Design for the Upcoming Elections on March 14th

All political campaigns involve a certain amount of voter education, whether it is reminding people of the party’s policies, the good things the candidate has done (or promises to do), or the misdeeds and missteps of their opponent. And in fact, speakers devoted time to each of these things during campaign events. However, they also spent a significant amount of time educating voters about how to properly cast their votes—a critical job given the significant changes to the election ballot this time around. This article discusses three features of Thailand’s ballot as well as some of the implications of these features.

 

Full story: https://www.thaienquirer.com/49630/whats-in-a-number-the-implications-of-thailands-ballot-design/

 

-- © Copyright Thai Enquirer 2023-05-13

 

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[newnative]

    Ballot design is certainly very important.   Gore would have been elected president in 2000 had Florida's very poor ballot design for that election been done properly.

[bignok]

19 minutes ago, newnative said:

    Ballot design is certainly very important.   Gore would have been elected president in 2000 had Florida's very poor ballot design for that election been done properly.

Lucky he was not.

[bamnutsak]

Sixty-Seven Parties on the Party List.

 

Nearly as complex a the Cheescake Factory menu.