Election Commission Sends Additional Ballot Papers to 140 Polling Stations Due to Shortage... Launches Investigation

The National Election Commission announced on June 8 that it had sent additional ballot papers to 140 polling stations nationwide during the main voting period of the June 3 local elections. In anticipation of a possible shortage of ballot papers, supplementary quantities were sent in advance, targeting 140 out of a total of 14,288 polling stations.

This figure represents an increase of 73 compared to the announcement made on June 5. By region, the breakdown is as follows: 53 in Seoul, 36 in Gyeonggi, 18 in Incheon, 9 in Busan, 7 in Daegu, 5 in Gyeongnam, 4 in Jeonnam, 3 in Ulsan, 2 in Gangwon, and 1 each in Chungbuk, Jeonbuk, and Gyeongbuk.

On the 8th, participants are shouting slogans in front of the entrance to the Handball Stadium in Olympic Park, Songpa-gu, Seoul, continuing the 'Jamsil Counting Center Lockdown Protest' condemning the ballot paper shortage crisis in the June 3 local elections and demanding a re-election. Photo by Yonhap News

The number of polling stations where the additional ballot papers were actually used was 91, an increase of 41 compared to the previous announcement. The number of polling stations where voting was temporarily suspended and then resumed due to a shortage of ballot papers increased by 4 to a total of 26.

To determine the cause and responsibility for this situation, the Election Commission will operate a "Ballot Paper Shortage Fact-Finding Committee" from June 10 to June 19. The committee will consist of six external members recommended by civic groups, the legal community, the media, and academia, with Hyunwook Cho, former president of the Korean Women Lawyers Association, serving as chairperson.

The committee plans to investigate the entire process of ballot paper printing, allocation, and supply management, as well as review polling station operations, initial response, and the appropriateness of reporting systems. Additionally, it will verify whether there were other cases where ballot paper shortages occurred.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission announced that Executive Commissioner Chulhwan Wi will serve as acting chairperson after Supreme Court Chief Justice Hee-dae Cho notified the dismissal of Central Election Commission Chairperson Taeak Noh.

The dismissal of Secretary General Cheolhun Heo was also accepted, and Deputy Secretary General Dongwan Kang will serve as acting secretary general. Furthermore, the Election Commission decided to relieve the policy chief and the Director of Election Division 1 of their duties as of June 9.

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