From Wedding Halls to Kendo Gyms and Barbecue Restaurants: Unique Neighborhood Polling Stations Welcome Voters Tomorrow

Unconventional Polling Stations Across the Country Prepare on the Eve of Local Elections
Casting Your Vote at 14,288 Locations Nationwide Tomorrow

On the eve of the June 3 local elections, unique polling stations across the country are preparing to welcome voters. While schools, community centers, and government offices are familiar voting locations, depending on local circumstances, places such as barbecue restaurants, wedding halls, kendo gyms, museums, and even car dealerships are transformed into “sites of democracy” for the day.

A citizen is voting at the Guro 5-dong 1st polling station set up at a wedding hall in Guro District, Seoul, on the day of the 22nd National Assembly election. Photo by Yonhap News

According to the National Election Commission, the main voting for the 9th nationwide local elections will be held on June 3, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 14,288 polling stations nationwide. Unlike early voting, on election day, voters can only cast their ballots at their designated polling stations. The location of each polling station can be checked through the voting guide sent to each household or by using the polling station search service on the National Election Commission website.

Unlike early voting, voting is only possible at your designated polling station

One of the most eye-catching sites is a barbecue restaurant called “Sangsangchowol Dwaeji Galbi,” designated as the polling station for Soha 2-dong No. 4 in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province. This restaurant has been used as a polling station during elections for over 10 years, making it a familiar place for local residents. The restaurant allows the annex to be used as the polling station while continuing to operate the main hall as usual, thereby assisting with the election. For voters, it means they can have a meal after voting.

On the morning of the 30th, the second day of early voting for the 9th nationwide local elections, a voter is moving inside the early voting booth set up on the third floor of the Usan-dong Administrative Welfare Center in Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju. Photo by Yonhap News

Wedding halls are also frequently used as polling stations. A wedding hall in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, is designated as the No. 1 polling station for Dongmun 2-dong, setting up voting booths and ballot boxes in the banquet hall. With a spacious interior, parking lot, elevators, and restrooms, the venue offers convenience for wheelchair users and elderly voters, allowing for relatively easy movement. The fact that there are usually few wedding events on weekdays makes it easier to secure the space, which is also one of the reasons wedding halls are chosen as polling stations.

Sports facilities also transform into polling stations on election day. In Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, “Munmu Kendo Center” operates as the No. 12 polling station for Ocheon-eup. With an indoor area exceeding 330 square meters and easy accessibility for residents, it has served as a polling station for over a decade. The kendo center sees this as an opportunity for residents to naturally become familiar with the facility during elections.

Sports facilities also transform into polling stations on election days. At the 5th polling station in Jinwol-dong, set up at Baekdu Taekwondo Gym in Nam-gu, Gwangju, during the 22nd National Assembly elections, election observers are monitoring the voting process. Photo by Yonhap News

Other unique polling stations include a museum in Garak 1-dong, Songpa District, Seoul (No. 4 polling station), a kindergarten in Idong, Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province (No. 3 polling station), and a car dealership in Simgokbon 1-dong, Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province (No. 2 polling station). The election commission primarily considers schools, government offices, and public institutions for polling places, but if there is no suitable location within the polling district or accessibility is poor, private facilities are also asked to cooperate. The main criteria include spaciousness, safe flow of movement for entry and exit, and ensuring convenience of movement for the elderly and people with disabilities.

These unique polling stations are not new. During the 21st presidential election last year, locations such as a barbecue restaurant in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province, a wedding hall in Guro District, Seoul, and a wrestling gym in Suyeong District, Busan, were operated as polling stations, attracting public attention. During the 22nd National Assembly election in 2024, a variety of venues—including an indoor ssireum (wrestling) hall at Seongnam Sports Complex in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province; a car dealership in Gwangjin District, Seoul; a cafe in Seodaemun District, Seoul; an imported car dealership in Incheon; and a table tennis hall in a gymnasium in Daegu—were used as polling stations. Each election sees familiar neighborhood spaces converted into public venues.

Mobile ID is accepted, but screenshots are not... No certification photos allowed inside polling stations

In this local election, most voters will receive seven ballot papers. This is because voters elect the superintendent of education, metropolitan or provincial governor, local government head (district/city/county), local council member by constituency, proportional local council member, district/city/county council member by constituency, and proportional district/city/county council member. However, the number of ballot papers differs in Sejong and Jeju, where there are no elections for basic local government heads or councils, and voters in regions holding by-elections for the National Assembly will receive one additional ballot paper.

On the 29th, the early voting day for the 9th nationwide local elections, travelers visiting the early voting station set up in Passenger Tunnel 2 of Incheon International Airport are casting their votes. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

Voting on election day is conducted in two steps. Voters first receive ballot papers for the superintendent of education, metropolitan/provincial governor, and local government head, mark their choices, and place them in the ballot box. Next, they receive the ballot papers for local council elections and vote again. In areas holding by-elections, the relevant ballot papers are provided together. Since there are multiple ballot papers, it is important to carefully check the type of election, candidates, and party names before marking your vote.

Voters must bring identification to the polling station. Acceptable forms of ID include a resident registration card, driver's license, passport, or any government-issued ID containing a photo and date of birth. Mobile ID is also accepted, but the app must be opened directly for verification; screenshots or saved images are not permitted.

Caution is also required regarding certification photos. While it is allowed to take commemorative photos in front of signs or photo zones outside the polling station building, taking photos inside the polling station or inside the voting booth is prohibited. In particular, photographing your marked ballot or posting it on social media or messenger apps is a violation of the Public Official Election Act and is punishable by law.

The minimum voting age is 18 years old as of the election day. For this local election, those born before June 4, 2008 are eligible to vote. Although voting ends at 6 p.m., voters who arrive at the polling station before closing and are waiting in line can receive a numbered ticket and cast their ballots. However, to avoid congestion, it is advisable to visit the polling station with ample time.

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