"Exactly the Same Early Voting Results in Songdo 1-dong and 2-dong?"... Uproar Over Ballot Counting

Election Commission's "Mere Coincidence" Explanation Fails to Quell Controversy
Ballot Paper Shortages Further Fuel Public Distrust

Early voting results in Songdo 1 and 2 districts disclosed on the National Election Commission Election Statistics System. Screenshot from the National Election Commission Election Statistics System

Controversy is growing over the ballot counting results for the Incheon mayoral election. This is due to the fact that in the early voting tallies within the district, the leading candidates in Songdo 1-dong and Songdo 2-dong received exactly the same number of votes. The National Election Commission maintains that this is "a mere coincidence," but suspicions are not easily subsiding amid ongoing concerns about lax election management.

According to the National Election Commission's election statistics system as of June 8, in the early voting for the 9th nationwide simultaneous local elections, the main candidates in Songdo 1-dong and Songdo 2-dong received identical vote counts. In Songdo 1-dong, out of a total of 4,546 voters, excluding invalid and abstained ballots, Park Chan-dae of the Democratic Party of Korea received 3,030 votes, and Yoo Jung-bok of the People Power Party received 1,440 votes.

In Songdo 2-dong, although the total number of voters and invalid ballots differed from Songdo 1-dong, the two candidates once again received the same vote counts: 3,030 votes for Park Chan-dae and 1,440 votes for Yoo Jung-bok. In contrast, other candidates’ vote counts differed by region.

Uproar Over 'Twin' Vote Counts

This phenomenon did not occur in the main voting results. In Songdo 1-dong, Park Chan-dae received 5,139 votes and Yoo Jung-bok received 7,692 votes, while in Songdo 2-dong, the tallies were 4,322 and 6,660, respectively, showing clear differences between the candidates’ results.

This has led to various interpretations, particularly within political circles and on social media. Incheon Mayor Yoo Jung-bok raised concerns about the outcome, saying, "Statistically, such a result is nearly impossible."

He stated, "As people lose trust in the election process and results, large crowds have gathered in Jamsil, Seoul, calling for a new election. We should switch from the early voting system to holding the main vote over two days instead."

Incheon Mayor Yoo Jung-bok is voting at an early polling station set up in the Cultural Creation Zone of Michuhol District, Incheon, on the first day of early voting for the June 3 local elections on the 29th of last month. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

In particular, the controversy has intensified due to the "ballot paper shortage incident" that occurred during this election process. Previously, voting was temporarily suspended at Polling Station No. 1 in Songdo 5-dong and Polling Station No. 6 in Dongchun 1-dong in Yeonsu District due to a shortage of ballot papers, and voting only resumed once additional papers were delivered.

"Coincidence" vs. "Difficult to Accept"

As the controversy grew, the National Election Commission quickly issued an explanation. The Commission stated, "The two districts have different numbers of eligible voters and actual voters, and the counting process involved separate classification and tabulation procedures," explaining that the results were handled independently. They further emphasized, "The sums are coincidentally the same; there were no counting errors or anomalies."

However, many remain unconvinced. Online, some argue that "it is nearly impossible for two districts to have the same numbers without artificial intervention," and are calling for a more transparent verification process.

Recurring Controversy... Election Integrity Put to the Test

This case is expanding beyond a simple numbers dispute to a broader issue of trust in the entire election process. During this local election, there were repeated cases nationwide of ballot shortages and voting delays, leading to criticism of the election management system.

According to the National Election Commission, on the day of the main vote, emergency supplies of additional ballot papers were sent to about 60 out of approximately 14,000 polling stations across the country. In some areas, voting continued even as counting was underway, resulting in operational confusion.

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