Additional polling station found to have received emergency ballot supply, suggesting shortages worse than first reported
An Iksan city official says the local polling station never actually ran out of ballots, but the revelation has fueled further criticism of Korea's state election commission.
Voters cast their ballots at a polling station in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on June 3.YONHAP
IKSAN, North Jeolla — Concerns are mounting that ballot shortages during the June 3 local elections may have been more widespread than initially reported, after it was belatedly confirmed on Monday that election authorities made an emergency delivery of additional ballots to a polling station in Iksan, North Jeolla.
The location was not included among the 67 polling stations the National Election Commission (NEC) disclosed on Friday as having received additional ballot papers.
"Additional ballot papers were supplied to Polling Station No. 3 in Wanggung-myeon, which was set up at welfare farm center in Gudeok-ri, Wanggung-myeon, Iksan, on June 3," the North Jeolla’s election commission said, adding that "no actual ballot shortage occurred."
The polling station had 587 registered voters, according to Iksan city officials. Excluding those who had already cast ballots during early voting, 449 voters were eligible to vote on Election Day. In line with NEC guidelines, the station was initially supplied with approximately 230 ballot papers, accounting for around 50 percent of the expected Election Day electorate.
Signs of trouble emerged around 10 a.m. on voting day when 200 to 300 residents arrived at the polling station at roughly the same time. The polling station manager, an official at the Iksan city government, soon afterward requested additional ballots from the local election commission. A total of 100 more ballot papers were delivered at around 1 p.m.
Only 34 of the 100 additional ballots delivered were ultimately used. The remaining ballots were returned after voting concluded.
No incidents involving voter delays or temporary suspension of voting occurred, according to the city.
"The polling station never actually ran out of ballot papers," an Iksan city official said. "The polling station manager dispatched to the site anticipated the possibility of a shortage and requested additional ballots from the election commission in advance."
Protesters gather outside the ballot-counting station at the Olympic Park handball gymnasium in Songpa District, southern Seoul, on June 8, chanting for a new vote as demonstrations continue over a ballot-paper shortage in the June 3 local elections.NEWS1
The official added, "The election official deployed to the site had anticipated the possibility of a shortage in advance and made the request to the election commission. Wanggung-myeon is home to a Hansen's disease settlement, and the area has a characteristic of relatively low early-voting participation and a higher proportion of voters casting ballots on Election Day."
The case has nonetheless fueled criticism that the NEC's ballot allocation plan failed to adequately reflect regional voting patterns.
With an additional case now confirmed beyond the 67 polling stations previously disclosed by the commission, observers both inside and outside the election authority estimate that the number of polling stations that experienced, or were at risk of experiencing, ballot shortages nationwide may have reached between 70 and 80.
During the Election Day on June 3, voting was temporarily suspended at 22 polling stations nationwide due to a lack of ballot paper, including Jamsil 7-dong’s Second Polling Station in Songpa District, southern Seoul. NEC Chairman Roh Tae-ak offered to resign on Friday.
BY KIM JUN-HEE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
