NEC: "42,000 Ballots Left in Songpa-gu... Distribution Failure Was a Painful Mistake"

Minimum Ballot Printing Rate Decided After External Review
26 Polling Stations Confirmed Suspended Due to Ballot Shortage

The National Election Commission has issued an explanation regarding the infringement on voting rights caused by the shortage of ballot papers during the June 3 local elections. The commission stated that it lowered the minimum threshold for ballot printing rates to 50%, citing difficulties with storing leftover ballots and suspicions of election fraud. Regarding Songpa-gu in Seoul, where the shortage was most severe, the commission clarified that the issue was not an actual shortage of ballots but rather a failure in distribution.

On June 11, Wi Cheolhwan, Acting Chair of the National Election Commission, released a statement titled "A Message to the People," in which he apologized for the ballot shortage incident and addressed the suspicions that had been raised. Wi is serving as acting chair following the cancellation of Rho Taeak's nomination as Chair of the National Election Commission.

First, regarding the shortage of ballots in Songpa-gu, Acting Chair Wi explained, "The 50% printing rate for the main ballots refers to the proportion after subtracting the early voting rate of 23.3%, so the total ballot printing rate is 73.3%. In the case of Songpa-gu, the overall voter turnout was 65.8%, which means there were about 42,000 ballots remaining across the district." However, he admitted, "It was a serious mistake that we failed to properly allocate ballots among the 146 polling stations in Songpa-gu."

Regarding the minimum 50% threshold for main ballot printing, he explained, "After the previous elections, the number of leftover ballots increased, which created difficulties in inspecting and storing several million ballots, along with concerns about loss, theft, or misappropriation." He continued, "In particular, printing an excessive number of ballots compared to the voter turnout on election day led to suspicions of election fraud. There was also a need to lower the minimum threshold in areas where the early voting rate increased and the main voting rate decreased, as well as challenges in securing ballot printers due to the short printing period, all of which were raised by field staff."

Acting Chairman of the National Election Commission, Choi Cheol-hwan, is entering the Central Election Commission in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province on the 11th, amid a search and seizure related to the shortage of ballots in the June 3 local elections by the joint investigation headquarters of the prosecution and police. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

He explained that the decision to lower the ballot printing rate was based on policy research commissioned to the Korea Institute of Public Administration in 2022, as well as the findings of a procedural improvement task force composed of staff, which resulted in the adjustment of the minimum to 50%. However, he added that the final ballot printing rate is determined by each of the 255 district, city, and county election commissions.

According to additional information released by the Election Commission that day, 140 polling stations received additional ballots due to concerns about shortages, and among them, 91 locations used the additional ballots. This number includes 26 polling stations where voting was suspended due to ballot shortages and other reasons. The commission admitted, "We were insufficient in grasping the remaining number of ballots by polling station and in responding, especially as voter turnout increased on election day." It also acknowledged shortcomings in distributing response guidelines and communicating the situation during shortages.

Regarding the lack of a robust crisis response system, the commission explained, "With only six to thirteen staff members handling ballot management, mail-in ballot reception, and ballot counting within a short period, there is a chronic shortage of personnel during the election period. On election day itself, the need to train ballot counters and observers at counting stations, conduct test runs for ballot sorting machines, prepare for ballot counting, and handle a surge in complaints at the office made it practically impossible to respond promptly to incidents or accidents at polling stations."

Looking ahead to fact-finding, Acting Chair Wi stated, "An independent fact-finding committee composed of external members is currently conducting a rigorous investigation, and I expect that the full details will be clarified through further investigations by law enforcement agencies and a parliamentary inquiry."

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