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Election 66

Election 66: Bridging the information gap for voters in Thailand 

 

The Problem
Amid Thailand's ongoing struggle for democratic governance are challenges surrounding electoral data and information. Past elections reveal the Election Commission of Thailand's (ECT) inability to furnish organized, digitized, and comprehensive electoral data, including candidate profiles, party policies, and electoral rules details. Bureaucratic hurdles, outdated technology, and inefficient processes exacerbate this critical shortfall, undermining election quality. This lack of accessible information impairs voter decision-making, fostering biased debates and misinformation proliferation. Additionally, shifts in electoral rules, like the transition to a dual ballot system, add complexity and unpredictability.  

The Approach
In preparation for Thailand’s May 2023 general election, WeVis undertook the Election '66' campaign. The primary objective was to provide essential election-centric data and information to all voters in Thailand, particularly focusing on first-time voters. Initially, WeVis developed exploratory tools allowing voters to review the Thai parliament's proceedings over the past four years. These tools were made available on the They Work for Us website, where profiles and works of all parliament members were curated, digitized, and organized. Additionally, the team introduced the They Work for You? platform, featuring a quiz comparing the voter’s stance with their district’s MP’s voting history on various bills, leading them to the central database for an overview of voting trends. Moreover, the project tracked the progress of all bills in parliament through the Law Watch platform. The Promise Tracker website was also launched to monitor political parties' activities, holding them accountable for campaign promises made in 2019. In anticipation of the 2023 election, two novel websites, Your Candidates and Policy Shop, were developed to provide comprehensive candidate and policy information. Collaborating with local media and civil society networks, WeVis actively engaged in public forums to promote the initiative and ensure a clear understanding of election rules and information dissemination. 

The Impact

  • Engaged over 6 million users on websites and social media platforms, establishing WeVis as a prominent data resource recognized by media and academia 

  • Invited to join a parliamentary committee to collaborate with government officials to actively foster open data and civic engagement in the parliament 

  • Received outreach from multiple political parties, highlighting their past work and providing policy insights, emphasizing WeVis's role in facilitating data-driven discussions and accountability within the political landscape 

  • Successfully collaborated with volunteers, students, civil society organizations, and private sector partners to meet project demands 

The Future
The focus for the next election in 2027 is on expanding voter outreach. WeVis is leveraging past experiences to establish partnerships with local media and civil society groups. Moving forward, WeVis aims to enhance the database's structure for greater user-friendliness, catering to policymakers, academics, and individuals alike.