▲ Residents gather in front of Jamsil 7-dong Polling Station No. 2 in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on the 3rd, the day of the June 3 local elections, when voting hours were extended until 10 p.m. due to a shortage of ballots.
It has been revealed that 12 voters who received waiting numbers at Jamsil 7-dong Polling Station No. 2, one of the locations where voting was suspended due to a ballot shortage during the June 3 local elections, were ultimately unable to cast their votes.
Cho Hyun-wook, head of the committee investigating the ballot shortage incident, shared these findings during a radio interview on KBS today (June 17).
According to Cho, when ballots ran out at Jamsil 7-dong Polling Station No. 2 on election day, June 3, waiting numbers were issued to voters present at the scene.
This measure was taken in consideration of the regulation that allows voters who arrive at a polling station by the 6 p.m. closing time to cast their votes even after the deadline.
A total of 175 waiting numbers were issued, and voting proceeded for those holding the tickets once additional ballots were secured.
However, as 17 of the waiting numbers were not returned, the National Election Commission extended the voting hours until 10 p.m.
This decision was based on the judgment that all waiting numbers issued to guarantee the right to vote had to be accounted for.
Nevertheless, it was found that only 5 of the remaining ticket holders cast their votes, while the other 12 ultimately did not.
When asked by the host if the 12 individuals had their voting rights infringed upon, Cho replied, "Yes," adding, "They went to vote, but there were no ballots, and after waiting, they eventually left without being able to vote."
Regarding the investigation method of the committee, Cho explained, "Out of 140 locations that requested additional ballots, we are focusing on the 91 locations that actually used them, and specifically on the 26 polling stations where voting was suspended." He added, "We have been analyzing the voting records (which document the voting situation by time) until yesterday."
Regarding the written inquiries sent by the committee to the chairperson of the National Election Commission, the standing commissioner, the secretary-general, and the deputy secretary-general, Cho stated, "The deadline was yesterday, but they had not arrived by the time of our meeting (in the afternoon)." He added, "Since the deadline is usually midnight, we will check on that."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.