PPP's North Gyeongsang chapter condemns ballot shortage at local elections

Youth officials and newly elected candidates from the People Power Party's North Gyeongsang Provincial Chapter issued a statement Tuesday condemning the National Election Commission over a ballot shortage during the June 3 local elections.

In the statement delivered at the provincial chapter's auditorium, the group criticized the NEC for preparing ballots equivalent to only 50 percent of the eligible voter pool despite receiving a budget sufficient to print 110 percent. "This is a failure of supply management and a display of complacency," they said.

They also said the shortage, which spread to more than 140 locations nationwide — including parts of Seoul, the Yeongnam region and the Greater Seoul area — had infringed on citizens' fundamental right to vote.

The group called on the government and the National Assembly to conduct a thorough investigation into the causes of the failure and hold all responsible NEC officials accountable. Additional demands included overhauling the entire election management process, acknowledging the limits of paper ballot distribution, introducing ballot-printing machines, adopting a digital real-time demand forecasting system, disclosing the NEC's budget expenditures, and launching a Board of Audit and Inspection audit.