Widespread Issues Plague Local Elections: Insufficient Ballots Cause Delays
Critical shortages of voting booths and ballots significantly impacted local elections across the nation, leading to widespread disruptions and prolonged voting periods in numerous polling stations. Reports indicate that at least 91 polling locations experienced a deficit in necessary voting materials, with some experiencing delays of up to an hour and 35 minutes.
Varied Ballot Allocations Fuel Discrepancies
The disparities in ballot preparation became starkly evident on election day. In Ongjin County, Incheon, election officials ensured a 100% sufficiency of ballots for all eligible voters. In contrast, Songpa District in Seoul provided only 51% of the required ballots, mirroring a broader trend of inconsistent planning among local election commissions nationwide. These discrepancies arose as each of the 255 district and county election commissions independently determined ballot quantities based on historical data.
National Election Commission Under Scrutiny
The National Election Commission’s (NEC) guidance on ballot printing has come under fire. In December of the previous year, the NEC advised local commissions to set a minimum of 50% of eligible voters for ballot printing, allowing for adjustments based on individual commission decisions. This directive followed a previous guideline from the 2022 local elections, which mandated printing ballots for at least 60% of eligible voters. The shift to a more flexible approach, attributing the decision to the increasing number of early voters, has now been cited as a contributing factor to the current ballot shortages.
A report submitted to National Assembly member Kim Seung-soo by the NEC revealed significant regional variations in ballot preparations. While Gwangju and Sejong prepared ballots for 50% of eligible voters, Gangwon prepared for 66%. Even within the Seoul metropolitan area, Seoul and Gyeonggi prepared for 58% of voters, while Incheon prepared for 53%.
Investigation Launched Amidst Public Outcry
The Supreme Prosecutors’ Office has established a special joint investigation unit to examine the voting booth shortage incidents. The Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office has already begun collecting evidence, including statements from those who managed ballot boxes, surveillance camera footage, and records from election commission staff, in relation to the ballot shortages in some Songpa District polling stations. Student councils from 12 universities nationwide are also planning to issue a statement condemning the voting ballot shortage.
The practice of printing preliminary ballots for early voting, which allows voters to cast ballots at any polling station regardless of their registered district, differs from the process for election day voting. For election day, ballots are pre-printed and stored at the election commission, based on the anticipated number of voters. The NEC’s report acknowledged that some local commissions failed to adequately consider historical turnout data when determining their ballot ratios.
The chaos caused by the ballot shortages has led to calls for a rerun of the elections in affected areas, further complicating the electoral process.
