Ballot shortage at South Korea's local elections: How did it happen?

Fierce criticism is mounting over an unprecedented ballot shortage that struck the 9th nationwide simultaneous local elections, with the National Election Commission facing accusations that a new directive — requiring polling stations to print a minimum of only 50 percent of ballots relative to registered voters — directly caused the crisis. The problem was most acute at Polling Station No. 2 in Jamsil 7-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, where only 1,900 ballots were prepared for 3,856 registered voters — a ratio of just 49.3 percent, falling short even of the commission's own reduced standard.

A box of ballots believed to have been sent by the Songpa-gu election commission was found inside the station after ballot boxes were removed, Yonhap News Agency reported. The label on the box listed a total print run of 1,900 ballots and indicated it was the sole box — "1 of 1" — meaning no additional ballots had been supplied.

With 3,856 registered voters assigned to the station, only 49.3 percent of the electorate had ballots available from the outset.

The ballots ran out before polls were scheduled to close, leaving some voters unable to cast their ballots and forcing them to turn away. The election commission then took the extraordinary step of extending voting hours from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. for voters who had already received a voter roll verification slip.

The unprecedented situation prompted some voters to demand a by-election, and protesters alleging electoral fraud soon converged on the site, triggering a roughly two-day, three-night standoff that drew national attention.

Ahead of the local elections, the National Election Commission had lowered the minimum ballot printing ratio for in-person voting from 60 to 70 percent of registered voters to 50 percent. The commission said the change reflected high early voting turnout and relatively lower public interest in local elections compared with presidential and general elections.

Officials also reportedly weighed concerns that surplus ballots could reach groups promoting election fraud conspiracy theories, as well as criticism over budget waste.

However, the commission had collected funding from local governments based on a pledge to print ballots for 110 percent of the total electorate — well above what was actually printed.

The commission is drawing intensified criticism for securing excess funding while printing only half the ballots it had budgeted for.

As the fallout widened, National Election Commission Chairman Noh Tae-ak was scheduled to issue a public apology Friday afternoon at the commission's headquarters in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province.

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said Friday that "if necessary, a thorough investigation and systemic reform must be achieved, even through a parliamentary investigation or special prosecutor."

Legal complaints against the election commission are also mounting, with citizens filing constitutional petitions and criminal complaints alleging dereliction of duty and violations of voting rights.

The Constitutional Court had received two constitutional petitions as of Friday from ordinary citizens claiming their right to vote was violated because the commission prepared too few ballots, according to legal sources.

On election day, the conservative civic group Seomin Minsaeng Daechaek Committee filed a criminal complaint against Chairman Noh and others on charges including dereliction of duty and abuse of authority. The following day, six additional organizations filed simultaneous complaints through the government's public petition portal with the Korean National Police Agency's National Investigation Headquarters. The Seomin group further alleged embezzlement and breach of fiduciary duty against senior officials at both the national and Seoul Metropolitan election commissions. The six groups — including the Investment Surveillance Capital Center, National Solidarity, Justice Alliance and the Mugunghwa Club for Rule-of-Law Democracy — submitted similar complaints.

김수현 측 “진실 밝혀져, 믿음과 응원 감사”…‘김세의 구속 송치’ 수사결과 통지서 공개

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