Election commission says ballot shortage does not warrant postponement or re-election

The National Election Commission said Thursday that a ballot shortage at some polling stations does not constitute grounds for postponing the election or holding a re-election under the Public Official Election Act, and that vote counting currently underway cannot be halted. The commission added that ballot boxes from the affected stations must be transferred to counting centers so that voters' choices can be confirmed.

In a statement issued Thursday, the commission offered a deep apology to voters who were unable to cast their ballots due to the shortage at some polling stations on Wednesday.

"We are acutely aware of our responsibility for the great disappointment and concern caused to voters who took time out of their day to visit polling stations and participate in democracy, only to be turned away due to our mistake," the commission said, while reaffirming its position that neither a postponement nor a re-election was possible.

The commission said it had decided to make every possible effort to investigate the cause of the incident and establish measures to prevent a recurrence as soon as vote counting concludes.

"We again sincerely apologize for failing to ensure that citizens could exercise their right to vote without disruption," the commission added. "We promise to fully explain the cause and our remedial measures to the public and to ensure that this never happens again."