EC now says official voter turnout is 47.72%

[SOTIRIOS]

....considering the crisis situation.....and photos and footage from the ballot areas........that figure sounds extremely high.....

[Ulic]

Personally I can't discern nearly as much from the results as most TV readers can from the numbers because

Suthep and the Democrats did not participate in the election and blocked/scared many from even going to the polls.

But from what most TV posters think looking at the results, is Suthep made an incredible blunder not participating

as he would have won in a landslide. Not sure that is true but that is what I discern from the comments. Personally

I think the no votes are more no vote meaning no to both parties. If you had a choice between Hitler and Stalin you

would probably pick no as well. Neither Suthep or Thaksin are credible leaders of Thailand both are scoundrels.

[SABloke]

Chiang Mai with a 20.22% vote-no count speaks volumes.

This is the regime leaders home town and the home for the terrorist wing of the PTP called RCM51. They are a loud, violent minority used to keep the silent majority silent and in perpetual fear.

Not that it matters. Elections will be nullified. The picture below showing "vote counting" (if you can call it that) in Chanthaburi says it all.

What I would love to see is that the ballot box translates to the PTP being more popular than the last election. That would make the EC's job easy in nullifying the elections and would ensure the PTP are brought up on charges of vote manipulation as well.

Please get more than 43% of the vote. PLEASE.

Chiang Mai with a 20.22% vote-no count speaks volumes

How true! it means an 80% yes-vote

Do you read articles or just take info from other posters?

64.08 voted yes to a party - which party no one knows as of yet

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[samuidave]

Chiang Mai with a 20.22% vote-no count speaks volumes.

This is the regime leaders home town and the home for the terrorist wing of the PTP called RCM51. They are a loud, violent minority used to keep the silent majority silent and in perpetual fear.

Not that it matters. Elections will be nullified. The picture below showing "vote counting" (if you can call it that) in Chanthaburi says it all.

What I would love to see is that the ballot box translates to the PTP being more popular than the last election. That would make the EC's job easy in nullifying the elections and would ensure the PTP are brought up on charges of vote manipulation as well.

Please get more than 43% of the vote. PLEASE.

Even 47.72% is the worst ever voter turnout in Thai history. Then to chose to deface ballots or cast "no vote" in protest of both the process and the regime overseeing it sends a pretty solid message to the regime that they are not wanted.

Like I said though I hope they get 43% or above of the vote..It will make the courts jobs so much easier.

For some funny reason, when reading your posts, the following idiom comes to mind:

"There are None So Blind As Those Who Will Not See"........

Great post, so very true!

The Democrats lost!

Big Time!

They need to get used to it, there is no manipulation that will change that, I think the voter turn out speaks volumes myself, Yellow's point to the no-vote total as a vote against PTP, I see them as a neutral vote not for PTP nor for the anti-democracy stop the vote Crunch bunch.

Remember every one that went to vote supported the Thai Democracy! And rejected the protestors plan.

Peace

One certainly has to be his development arrested when his democratic principles only apply on voting day.

[longway]

So, the voter turnout was 47.7%

Let's put this into perspective. In 2012, Barack Obama won the American general election, and 57.5% of all voters actually voted. The rest did not.

Also, surely, the total number of votes cast in the latest Thai election would have been higher if Suthep had not launched a campaign to boycott voting ?

Looks like it's time to storm the White House, occupy the Capitol and declare invalid the 2012 US Election.

"Looks like it's time to storm the White House, occupy the Capitol and declare invalid the 2012 US Election."

Yes, that would be an absurd idea to most people on TV. Yet, that's what some people are cheering on. Or they're cheering on something similar to that.

By the way, the turnout for the American general election in 2012 was relatively high. All the elections that took place back in the 1980s and 1990s had turnouts that were lower than what it was in 2012.

Is it a legal requirement to vote in the US or UK..... I don't think so... irrelevant!

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There is a flaw in the way democracy is implemented throughout the world. We are essentially entering into a compact that we consent to whoever wins the election will reperesent us, even if we did not vote for them or did not vote at all. However how can we be said to be giving consent if we no means to withhold it? Its absurd; it lies at the heart of the current Thai conflict and is the reason for voter appathy and disillusionment throughout the world.

The logical way to withhold consent is by voting "None of the Above" with the provision that if NOTA comes first the election is run again with new candidates. Its a simple and achiveable reform and has the power to transform the political dynamic throughout the world.

If you are against this reform you are clearly against democracy.

Edited February 7, 2014 by longway

[JAG]

It is clear in my mind that the Dems have lost the opportunity of a winnable election, now they seek an annulment. The PTP have lost the support of the electorate due to their inability to govern within the law. The people of Thailand are the winners, they have sent a clear message to both parties that better governance is demanded.

Unfortunately they are likely to end up with a dictatorship, set up by Suthep.

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[ShannonT]

There is a flaw in the way democracy is implemented throughout the world. We are essentially entering into a compact that we consent to whoever wins the election will reperesent us, even if we did not vote for them or did not vote at all. However how can we be said to be giving consent if we no means to withhold it? Its absurd; it lies at the heart of the current Thai conflict and is the reason for voter appathy and disillusionment throughout the world.

The logical way to withhold consent is by voting "None of the Above" with the provision that if NOTA comes first the election is run again with new candidates. Its a simple and achiveable reform and has the power to transform the political dynamic throughout the world.

If you are against this reform you are clearly against democracy.

Exactly there lies the biggest problem Thailand is facing. Suthep hasn't even presented his reforms plan to the Thai people.

He has repeatedly said "we will think about it when we get there".

How can you support a person who doesn't even tell you what kind of reforms he wants?

Either he has no plan or he is not sharing it with the Thai people for some reason.

Either one is scary.