[June 3 Election] "A Vote Before Work"... Heated Advance Voting on First Day in Gwangju

Polling Stations Crowded Throughout the Morning with Office Workers, Seniors, and Other Voters

"Since this is the first vote ahead of the launch of the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City, I hope many voters will show interest."

At around 9 a.m. on May 29, at the Cheomdan 1-dong Administrative Welfare Center in Gwangsan-gu.

On the morning of the 29th around 9 a.m., citizens are waiting for the elevator to go to the polling station located on the 5th floor of the Cheomdan 1-dong Administrative Welfare Center in Gwangsan-gu. Photo by Min Chanki

From early in the morning, the advance polling station here was crowded with voters, with long lines stretching from the entrance. On the first floor of the Cheomdan 1-dong Administrative Welfare Center, a sign reading, "The advance polling station is in the grand auditorium on the 5th floor," was prominently displayed, and staff members were guiding voters, organizing them in line in front of the elevator.

On the 5th floor, arrows clearly marked the separation between local and out-of-district voters, and clerks asked voters about their constituencies before guiding them to the appropriate area. On this day, a new type of ballot box for local advance voting, featuring a transparent base, was introduced and drew attention. The out-of-district ballot box maintained its previous design.

In Cheomdan 1-dong, where a by-election for a member of the National Assembly is taking place, voters held eight ballots in their hands. After completing their selections in the voting booth, voters deposited their ballots in the box and exited. Perhaps due to the by-election, the polling station was especially lively, with about 700 voters recorded as of 9:20 a.m.

Park Seongyong (47), who had just voted, said, "I made time to vote before work, hoping my ballot will help improve my neighborhood and Gwangju," and added, "Since this is the first vote after the launch of the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City, I hope many voters will participate."

Around the same time, citizens continued to arrive at the Geumho 2-dong advance polling station set up at the Gwangju Seo-gu Culture Center. The line stretched from the entrance to deep inside the lobby, at times forming a long queue, and citizens proceeded towards the polling station as they waited for their turn.

The polling station was visited by people from various age groups, including office workers, seniors, and homemakers. As soon as one group of voters finished and left, new voters joined the line, keeping the venue busy throughout the morning.

Kim, an office worker in his 30s, said, "I thought I could stop by and finish quickly, but there were more people than I expected," adding, "Even though the line was long, I am waiting because I believe it's important to exercise my right to vote."

Meanwhile, the June 3 local elections will simultaneously elect the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special Mayor, heads of basic local governments, the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Superintendent of Education, metropolitan and basic council members, and proportional representatives. Ordinary voters will receive up to seven ballots, while voters in Gwangsan-eul, Gwangju, where the parliamentary by-election is being held, will receive up to eight ballots. However, in constituencies where candidates are elected unopposed, the corresponding ballot will not be distributed.

Advance voting is possible at any advance polling station nationwide from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on May 30 and 31. Voters must bring an ID card with a photo and date of birth, such as a resident registration card, driver's license, or passport. Mobile IDs are also accepted, but screenshots of the ID are not recognized.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.